Vaccination: What the law says

Local health officials often tell day care operators their centers are complying with the law as long as 90 percent of their children have proof of vaccinations, a temporary waiver or medical or religious exemption.

But the law says:

SPOTLIGHT: BY ALISON YOUNG

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“No child shall be admitted to or attend any school or facility in this state unless the child shall first have submitted a certificate of immunization to the responsible official of the school or facility. …”

“Any responsible official permitting any child to remain in a school or facility in violation of this Code section, and any parent or guardian who intentionally does not comply with this Code section, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $100.00 or by imprisonment for not more than 12 months.”

To read the full text of the law, O.C.G.A. 20-2-771, go to http://health.state.ga.us/programs/immunization/schools.asp.

HELP WITH SHOTS

To attend day care, depending on the child’s age, Georgia law may require vaccination against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, whooping cough, chickenpox, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis A and B, pneumococcal disease, and Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib). Exemptions are allowed for medical and religious reasons.

For more information or help with vaccines:

Cobb and Douglas Public Health: 770-514-2300

DeKalb County Board of Health: 404-294-3700

East Metro Health District: 770-339-4260

Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness: 404-730-1211

SPOTLIGHT GETS RESULTS

Last month the AJC reported that many schools in Fulton County were allowing large numbers of students to attend class without proof of vaccinations — and that local health officials hadn’t examined individual schools’ compliance.

Now, the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness is taking several actions, said Juliet Cooper, the department’s nursing director:

• Beginning as early as January, health officials plan to send mobile units to provide shots — with parents’ permission — at schools where audits this fall show low vaccination compliance. “That’s going to be a lot of schools, but it’s worth it,” she said.

• The county will launch programs to educate principals, superintendents, day care operators and parents about the importance of vaccinations.

• Fulton is working on a proposal to audit vaccination compliance among ninth-graders as they enter high school. Currently, kindergarten and sixth-grade compliance is audited statewide.

• Health officials will use the Georgia Immunization Registry’s database, where doctors and clinics record all shots given in the state, to identify Fulton County children who may be missing shots, send their parents letters and provide resources for getting up to date.

“Our ultimate goal is to make sure, to the best of our ability, that 100 percent of the children attending school in Fulton County are adequately immunized,” Cooper said.