Nearly 200 unvaccinated children sent home to schools in North Dakota

Nearly 200 children who have returned to school unvaccinated have been sent home through North Dakota as a result of repeated warnings from health officials.

The North Dakota Ministry of Health reminded parents in summer that they had to ensure that their children were aware of all vaccines required by the state before October 1 to be allowed to come back.

However, schools across the state have reported that dozens of children have still not been vaccinated.

Fargo public schools said they had excluded 18 school students for not receiving the required injections, and 42 of them were sent home to West Fargo. The Bismarck Public School District stated that 50 students were excluded and the Grand Forks School District reported that 79 children did not have all the required vaccinations, reports West Fargo Pioneer.

The director of Fargo Public Schools, Rupak Gandhi, said the district had warned parents in advance to warn of the threshold.

"We have made many efforts to communicate with parents in advance and let them know that they are not vaccinated before October 1, and then as of October 2, according to the law of their State, they will not be included, "he told Valley News Living.

One of the new vaccines required for schoolchildren is the meningococcal conjugate vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds entering Grades 11 and 12 this year. The vaccine will protect against meningococcal disease, a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and "possibly lead to death or permanent disability within hours of the onset of the first symptoms," Lexie Barber, an epidemiologist with Department of Health North Dakota.

North Dakota Department of Health epidemiologist Brenton Nesemeier said the disease could also have devastating, non-fatal consequences. "You can have permanent effects like neurological damage or limb loss – it can be pretty scary if you're exposed," he told the West Fargo pioneer.

According to WDAY, Fargo Public Schools stated that only 18 of the 18 students who were not allowed to return to school on October 1 have returned since they received or are about to be beaten. fire.

Parents can apply for exemptions for moral or religious reasons. Excluded children usually come back within three days, according to West Fargo Public Schools.

Last October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the vaccination rate of schoolchildren in North Dakota, which was once one of the 10 poorest states, has now reached the national median.

Figures show measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rate 93.8% – ranked 27^th in the country with four other states – compared with the national median of 94%, reported Inforum.