Students without documentation of the shot will be excluded from school on Friday

Contact: Laurie Hogan (336) 370-8307
Created: 9/22/2010 3:02:45 PM

Thursday is the last day sixth-graders can attend school without an updated Tdap vaccination. Students who have not received the vaccine or provided documentation will be excluded from middle schools Friday.

As of Wednesday, 539 students in Guilford County Schools had not provided a record of receiving the Tdap vaccination. The number has decreased by about 200 students each day this week. At the end of last week, 1,141 students were without the vaccine.

Parents can get their sixth-graders vaccinated for free at the Guilford County Department of Public Health. The High Point location at 501 E. Green Drive still has appointment times open this week. Parents can call 336-845-7655 to schedule an appointment. The vaccine may also be available at family physicians' offices.

In 2008, a state law went into affect requiring all sixth-graders to receive a booster shot by the start of the school year. The vaccine protects children and adults from three serious diseases - tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough). The law states that students who have not provided documentation of the shot must be excluded from school. Appointment cards are not sufficient, according to the state.