Newton, Massachusetts, school leaders have mandated that all students must have their vaccinations up to date before classes resume this fall. A recent review of student vaccination records by Newton Schools’ new Superintendent Anna Nolin revealed that 182 students do not have all the state-required vaccinations, including 42 students not fully vaccinated against measles. During the pandemic, some families received waivers for vaccines, but these will no longer be accepted, and students without full vaccinations will not be allowed back in the fall.”I’m fine with it. And to be honest with you, I didn’t even realize it wasn’t there. So we always stuck with our vaccination programs with the doctor and nothing lapsed on our end,” one Newton father said.Not everyone is on board. “If I had my choice, I would not vaccinate them at all,” one Newton mother said. “I think the vaccines are poison.”The unvaccinated students represent about 1.5 percent of Newton’s student population. A health expert warned that if these students are grouped together in the same school or neighborhood, it could pose a risk of an outbreak.”If you have multiple children in the same grade, for example, and (there’s an) introduction of measles because one of those children travels to an area with measles transmission and brings it back, you could get an outbreak and you could get serious illness,” said Dr. Shira Doron of Tufts Medical Center.Massachusetts allows families to request an exemption from school vaccination requirements for medical or religious reasons. State lawmakers are considering a bill to eliminate the religious exemption.”Several states have gotten rid of them in recent years, including California, Connecticut, Maine and New York, all around here. So we’re hoping to be the next one,” said Katie Blair, of Massachusetts Families for Vaccines.
NEWTON, Mass. —
Newton, Massachusetts, school leaders have mandated that all students must have their vaccinations up to date before classes resume this fall.
A recent review of student vaccination records by Newton Schools’ new Superintendent Anna Nolin revealed that 182 students do not have all the state-required vaccinations, including 42 students not fully vaccinated against measles.
During the pandemic, some families received waivers for vaccines, but these will no longer be accepted, and students without full vaccinations will not be allowed back in the fall.
“I’m fine with it. And to be honest with you, I didn’t even realize it wasn’t there. So we always stuck with our vaccination programs with the doctor and nothing lapsed on our end,” one Newton father said.
Not everyone is on board.
“If I had my choice, I would not vaccinate them at all,” one Newton mother said. “I think the vaccines are poison.”
The unvaccinated students represent about 1.5 percent of Newton’s student population. A health expert warned that if these students are grouped together in the same school or neighborhood, it could pose a risk of an outbreak.
“If you have multiple children in the same grade, for example, and (there’s an) introduction of measles because one of those children travels to an area with measles transmission and brings it back, you could get an outbreak and you could get serious illness,” said Dr. Shira Doron of Tufts Medical Center.
Massachusetts allows families to request an exemption from school vaccination requirements for medical or religious reasons. State lawmakers are considering a bill to eliminate the religious exemption.
“Several states have gotten rid of them in recent years, including California, Connecticut, Maine and New York, all around here. So we’re hoping to be the next one,” said Katie Blair, of Massachusetts Families for Vaccines.