NC students are getting an extension to get vaccinations. But they still must do them.
North Carolina families are getting an extra two months to get required vaccinations before their children won’t be allowed to attend school.
Students are typically required to provide proof of immunization within the first 30 days of the school year, which starts Monday for many public school students. But under an executive order signed Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper is giving families until the end of October to submit proof of the vaccination to schools.
The executive order cites how the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for many families to get all required immunizations on a timely basis. The order also extends the deadline for families who are attending a public school for the first time to submit a school health assessment.
A similar extension was given in September 2018 during the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.
State law requires students to have certain vaccinations in place, whether they’re attending a public school, private school or are home-schooling. This requirement also applies to families who signed up for virtual academy programs to only take online classes this school year.
Across the country, pediatricians have seen a drop in patients seeking regular appointments and immunizations in the age of the coronavirus, The News & Observer previously reported.
“With kids headed back to school and flu season right around the corner, it’s more important than ever this year for all North Carolinians to get their recommended immunizations,” state Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen said in a news release. “Childhood immunizations keep kids safe and protect public health by lowering the likelihood of an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease like measles.”
Families who can’t afford to pay for their children’s vaccines can get free immunizations from the federal Vaccines for Children program. For more information on school vaccination requirements, go to www.immunize.nc.gov/schools.
