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Serious business
At least 750 Seattle students without up-to-date vaccination records could be excluded from being able to attend school, according to the local school district.
In a Tuesday news release, a spokesperson for Seattle Public Schools said that parents should not send their children to schools, beginning Wednesday, if they did not comply with turning in updated vaccination records or exemptions, if applicable.
The statement said: "If students without updated immunization records arrive at school, they will be placed in a designated room or space and the child's family will be contacted to come pick them up. Once immunization compliance is achieved, students may return to school."
In December, the district announced Wednesday as the deadline for parents to provide such documentation. As of December, at least 2,200 district students had incomplete vaccination records. The number had been reduced to 980 by Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, the district shared a reminder on its Twitter page, writing, "We want all students safe, healthy, and learning. Make sure your student's immunization records are up to date by Jan. 8. Per state law, students without updated records will be excluded from school. Once in compliance, students may return to school."
A newly passed Washington law mandates that all children need to be fully vaccinated in order to attend public schools unless they have submitted a completed a religious or medical certificate of exemption. The law followed a statewide measles outbreak.
In 2019, there were at least 1,282 confirmed cases of measles across 31 states, the CDC reported.
Seattle Public Schools notified district families that it would be offering three free immunization clinics.