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In order to safeguard the school community from the spread of certain communicable diseases and in recognition that prevention is a means of combating the spread of disease, the district requires all students to present evidence of having been immunized against those diseases identified and required by the Washington Department of Health (DOH) prior to the first day of school.

Immediately upon enrollment in the district, the student’s parent or legal guardian must provide proof of the required immunizations as specified by the DOH with a completed Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) form approved by the DOH, and/or an exemption with a completed Certificate of Exemption (COE) form approved by the DOH. The student cannot start attending school until the completed CIS and/or COE is on file at the school or the conditional immunization status conditions have been met. Students experiencing homelessness, including migratory and refugee children and children in out-of-home (foster) care, who have not provided the required documentation will be allowed to enroll, attend classes, and participate fully, despite being out of compliance with immunization requirements.

The CIS and/or COE will be a part of the student's cumulative school record. The district will provide access to immunization records of each student enrolled to agents of the state or local health department. The district will return the CIS and/or COE or a legible copy to the parent or legal guardian if the child is withdrawn or transferred from the district. The district will not withhold the CIS and/or COE for any reasons, including nonpayment of school fees.

 

Certificate of Immunization
In lieu of requiring a CIS, the district  may verify that the student’s immunizations are complete in the WA Immunization Information System (IIS). School staff will document this verification in the student’s cumulative school record. If the district is unable to verify the student’s immunizations are complete in the IIS, the district will require the student’s parent or legal guardian to provide a completed CIS.

All immunization information documented on a CIS by new enrollees starting school must be medically verified. A CIS printed from the IIS with immunization information prepopulated is considered medically verified by the IIS. All hardcopy CIS forms completed by parents or legal guardians must be verified for accuracy and signed by a health care provider or a school administrator, school nurse or designee.

For currently enrolled students, all new immunization documentation  must be submitted on a medical immunization record. School staff may use the information on the medical immunization record to update the student’s existing CIS on file. A district school nurse or their delegate, with parent or legal guardian permission, may use the information on the medical immunization record to update the student’s immunization information in the IIS.

 

Conditional Immunization Status Attendance

If by a student’s first day of attendance, the district does not have documentation of all of the required immunizations, the student may be permitted to start school in a temporary “conditional immunization status” provided that the student has received all of the immunizations that the student is eligible to receive and is waiting for the recommended date of the next vaccine dose according to the national immunization catch-up schedule. The parent or legal guardian must sign the CIS acknowledging the conditional status rules and timelines that follow. When the immunizations are part of a series with recommended intervals between doses, each additional missing immunization must be received no later than thirty (30) calendar days past the recommended date of administration of the next dose as established by the national immunization guidelines.  If the thirty (30) calendar day period expires and documentation has not been given to the school, the student will be excluded from further attendance pursuant to WAC 246-105-080. Valid documentation includes medical records showing vaccination, evidence of immunity to the disease in question, or a completed COE form.

 

Exemptions from Immunization

Any and all exemptions will be processed and recorded on a COE form approved by the DOH. All exemptions requested on a COE must be signed by the parent or legal guardian. Additionally, with the exception of a religious membership exemption, all COE forms must include a statement from a health care practitioner (HCP) that includes the practitioner's printed name, signature, and date of signature stating that they have provided the parent or legal guardian information about the benefits and risks of immunization to the child as a condition of obtaining a medical, personal, or philosophical exemption. The form may be signed by a HCP at any time prior to the enrollment of the child in a school. Photocopies of the signed form or a letter from the HCP referencing the child's name will be accepted in lieu of the original form. Such a letter should be attached to the COE signed by the parent or legal guardian. Only a HCP who is a medical doctor (MD), physician assistant (PA), osteopath (DO), naturopath (ND), or advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) licensed in Washington State may sign the COE.

 

The District will grant medical exemptions from one or more of the required immunizations if the HCP indicates on the COE that in their opinion the vaccine is not advisable for the student. If the HCP indicates the medical exemption is temporary, an expiration date must be documented on the COE. When a temporary medical exemption expires, the student can attend school in “conditional immunization status” for thirty (30) calendar days to get the missing immunization or another exemption. If the thirty (30) calendar day period expires and documentation has not been given to the school, the student will be excluded from further attendance pursuant to WAC 246-105-080. Valid documentation includes medical records showing vaccination, evidence of immunity to the disease in question, or a completed COE form.

 

The District will grant religious exemptions from one or more of the required immunizations if the parent or legal guardian completes the religious exemption section of the COE

 

The District will grant religious membership exemptions from one or more of the required immunizations if the parent or legal guardian completes and signs the religious membership section of the COE and affirms their membership in a church or religious body where the teachings of the church or religious body preclude a HCP from providing medical treatment to the child. The HCP’s signature is not required for a religious membership exemption.

 

The District will grant personal/philosophical exemptions from one or more of the required immunizations, except measles, mumps or rubella, if the parent completes the personal/philosophical exemption section on the COE. The district will not grant an exemption for philosophical or personal reasons from the measles, mumps, or rubella immunization requirements.

 

Exclusion from School

The school principal will exclude students from further attendance who are out of compliance with the immunization requirements as required in RCW 28A.210.120.

 

When excluding students, the school will provide written notification as required in WAC 392-380-050. Written notification will:

  • Order that the student is excluded immediately;
  • Be delivered in person, by mail, or by email;
  • Be in a language the parents or legal guardians understand, which may require language assistance for parents or legal guardians with limited-English proficiency under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or parents or legal guardians with communication disabilities under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act;
  • Include a copy of the applicable laws and rules including RCW 28A.210.010-.160, chapter 246-105 WAC, and WAC 392-182-005, -020, -045, -050, -080;
  • Provide information regarding immunization services available through local health or other public agencies;
  • Include notice that the parent or legal guardian and the student have a right to request a hearing to challenge the school’s decision to exclude the student, including where and to whom the hearing must be requested;
  • Describe the hearing process; and
  • Explain that the exclusion continues until either the required immunization documentation, or a completed COE form is turned in to the school, or a hearing officer determines that the student is no longer excluded from school.

 

If the parent or legal guardian requests a hearing, the district will, within one (1) school day of the request, notify in writing the parent or guardian and school principal of the time and place for the hearing. At the hearing, a hearing officer appointed by the superintendent will provide the parent or legal guardian an opportunity to explain how their student is in compliance with school attendance requirements under WAC 392-380-045.

 

List of Students Not Fully Immunized

The district will keep or be able to produce within twenty-four (24) hours a current list of students who are not fully immunized. This list must be transmitted to the local health department upon request. The local health officer may use this list for easy identification of students to be excluded from school temporarily during a disease outbreak.

 

Adopted:
12/19/19                   

 

Revised:

08/30/22

 

Cross Ref:

3412  

 

LEGAL REFS.:            
RCW 28A.210.060-.170

WAC 246-105-080

Chapter 392-380 WAC

Chapter 392-400 WAC

 

Management Resources:               

DOH Immunization Manual, Publication No. 348-124 (2022)

 

 

 

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