PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Thousands of Philadelphia public school students are at risk of being shut out of classes because they don’t have the required routine immunizations.
More than 19,000 students don’t have all of their vaccinations, Superintendent William Hite announced Wednesday.
The School District of Philadelphia is not mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for students, but Hite said immunizations for measles, mumps and other diseases are required before school begins later this month.
“Any student who is noncompliant with the state-mandated immunizations by Aug. 31, which coincides with our first day of school, will be excluded from school,” Hite said at a news conference outside the Maria de Los Santos Health Center in Fairhill.
“This is a state mandate, meaning that students will not be allowed to enter school buildings and will be marked as having an unexcused daily absence until their immunization records are updated.”
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After 10 unexcused absences, a student is declared truant, Hite said.
The immunization mandate even applies to students attending online schools, including the district-run Philadelphia Virtual Academy, Hite said.
The district has partnered with Delaware Valley Community Health to provide immunizations at two clinics:
Maria de Los Santos Health Center
401 W. Allegheny Avenue
Aug. 4, 11, 18, and 25
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fairmount Primary Care Center
1412 Fairmount Ave.
Aug. 10, 17, and 24
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Matthew Motley, a 16-year-old incoming senior at Carver High School for Engineering and Science, fell behind on his shots because his pediatrician retired last year. He got his meningitis and HPV shots on Wednesday at the Fairhill clinic.
“I feel really relieved so I don’t have to worry about if I’m going to be safe or not,” he said. “I know right now I’m going to be safe since I took the shot.”
The district said the number of students without all of their shots is comparable to pre-COVID-19 years. Hite noted 12% of the students with incomplete immunizations are learning English or have parents with limited English proficiency.
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“All of the vaccines that you’re due for, in addition to the COVID vaccine, can be given together. And we recommend that,” added Dr. Julia DeJoseph, chief medical officer of Delaware Valley Community Health.
“As a working mom, I understand how absolutely challenging it can be to get those immunizations done. But I can’t stress how important it is for our children to get vaccinated.”