District to retain health records

Due to new guidelines passed by New York state earlier this year, the Rockville Centre School District is proposing changes to its vaccine policy, the majority of which would allow the school to keep a child’s immunization records for up to three years after graduation.

Under state law, children are required to receive vaccinations for Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B and Varicella (Chicken Pox). Children who aren’t vaccinated aren’t allowed to attend schools in Rockville Centre, unless they have valid religious or medical reasons to not have the vaccines.

“The principal has to review the documentation provided by the parents, for the most part for their religious reasons, for not participating,” said Superintendent Dr. William Johnson.

Currently, there are 39 children in the district who aren’t immunized. Slightly more than half are for religious reasons, and the rest are for medical ones.

The biggest change in the state law is how long the school district will retain student immunization records. The school will keep original copies of students’ immunization records for six years, or three years after the student turns 18 — whichever is longer.

The district is also now required to keep a list of unvaccinated students so that they can be quickly identified in case of an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease. The district would also make the records available to the state Department of Health.

“I think there’s a great deal more skepticism in younger people who are raising their children now about the true benefit of all this,” Johnson said. “There are more and more people who are questioning why all children need to be vaccinated with all the vaccines. So New York state is saying everybody must.”

The district will continue the discussion of the new policy at its next Board of Education meeting, which will be held on Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in room 112 of South Side High School.