Kids will be glad to know that they don’t have to go back to school for a while, but Guilford County health officials are already saying they’re ready to give your child the mandatory vaccinations for public school any weekday that you are.
A spokesperson for the Health Division said the appointment calendar is now open for vaccinations at the seventh-grade and twelfth-grade immunization clinics in High Point and Greensboro through the end of July, but there may be more sessions available in August as well.
The Guilford County Division of Public Health is accepting appointments in Greensboro and High Point for upcoming Guilford County Schools’ seventh graders and twelfth graders.
North Carolina law requires that all incoming seventh graders receive a Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) vaccine as well as an MCV (Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine) by the start of their seventh-grade year.
On the other hand, all incoming twelfth graders are required to receive a second dose of the Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine by the start of their twelfth-grade year.
The Division of Public Health also offers Covid-19 vaccines for those who wish to get them.
Immunization clinics will be held Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an hour off for lunch at the following Guilford County Division of Public Health locations: 501 E. Green Dr. in High Point, and 1100 E. Wendover Ave. in Greensboro.
Appointments may be scheduled by phone at 336-641-3245, and parents and guardians should bring their child’s insurance card and immunization records to their appointment if those documents are available.
There are some situations in which a child can opt out. North Carolina law provides two types of exemptions – medical and religious.
If a child has a medical or religious exemption to being vaccinated, then he or she is required to provide documentation to that effect.
North Carolina General Statue 130A-156 covers the Medical Exemption, which “applies when it is certified that a required immunization is or may be detrimental to a person’s health due to the presence of one of the contraindications adopted by the Commission for Public Health. Under this exemption, the person is not required to receive the specified immunization…as long as the contraindication persists. The child may attend school or a child care facility with a copy of the Medical Exemption Statement Form.”
The other exemption falls under the General Statute130A-157 Religious Exemption, which “applies when the bona fide religious belief of the parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis of a child is contrary to the immunization requirements contained in North Carolina law; the adult or the child shall be exempt from the requirements. Upon submission of a written statement of bona fide religious beliefs and opposition to the immunization requirements, the child may attend school without presenting a certificate of immunization.”
Thank you so much for including both the medical and religious exemptions in this article! For parents who want to claim a religious exemption, you only have to write on a piece of paper that the vaccines go against your bona fide religious beliefs, sign, and date it; complete one of these for each child. You are not legally required to provide proof of any of these beliefs, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Given the growing number of measles and mumps outbreaks due to antivaxxers ‘pretend’ religious exemptions, I hope more people call out their fellow church members that antivax is NOT a part of most modern church’s religious doctrines.
Here we go again. Vaccination & indoctrination. It’s “my body, my choice” for those who want to end a life. It’s “required by law” for the rest of us. What a wonderful world we live in.
You are NOT required to have the shots. If you choose to NOT have the shots, you just have to go to school somewhere that allows unvaccinated kids. (or you can lie your religion forbids vaccines like many conservatives do giving their comfort with lying.)
Life is free but not free from consequences.
We fund the schools with our taxes so we can go there if we choose.
You want to attend elementary school you have to meet stated requirements. For you, I think the age requirement may be the bigger roadblock than your vax status.
FYI, you don’t fund schools. You fund the government that funds the schools. The government can and does make laws for the good of the community and public health. If you don’t follow them, there are consequences.
not complicated.