Vaccines for Pre K

So my daughter, who is 4, will be starting Pre K in September.  The school nurse called and said she was missing a vaccine from the Prevnar (PCV) series and that it was required by the state that she have one after the age of 12 mos.  I called the pediatrician and they said they will NOT give her the vaccine because that vaccine is for an illness that ONLY children  under the age of 2 can get, therefore it is medically unethical to give her the vaccine.  I called the school back and left a message.  Finally got a call back this morning and the nurse said that it is state mandated and she HAS to get the vaccine otherwise she can not attend.  What do I do, I don't want her to have an unnecessary shot.  I also found out that it wasn't that she didn't finish the series, its that I took her in a few days before she was 12 mos old so they won't count the shot as being after 12 mos.  HELP!

[tiredbuthappy]

what state? i'm pretty sure that you can get around it somehow- there are unvaccinated kids in our school system (NOT that i'm advocating it- just shows it is possible somehow). side note- my ped would never allow me to take dd early for shots- even by a day. i always wondered what the big deal is- now i can see!

[110279hld]

We are in NJ.  I wish I had known about taking them in a few days early - you would have thought they would warn you.  Oh well, I am just going to make sure the same thing doesn't happen with my other daughter and hopefully we'll be able to work this out so my oldest doesn't have to get a shot she doesn't need.

[alikat1205]

get a letter from your dr. to put in her school records and go above the school nurse to the head administrator.

[tiredbuthappy]

In this case, the vaccine is probably medically contraindicated.
check out http://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/chap14.htm. it tells you what you'd have to do. these are the state regulations.

"8:57-4.3 Medical exemptions

(a) A child shall not be required to have any specific immunization(s), which are medically contraindicated.

(b) A written statement submitted to the school, preschool, or child care center from a physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy or an advanced practice nurse (certified registered nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist) in any jurisdiction of the United States indicating that an immunization is medically contraindicated for a specific period of time, and the reason(s) for the medical contraindication, based upon valid medical reasons as enumerated by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the United States Public Health Service or the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines, will exempt a pupil from the specific immunization requirement for the stated period of time.

The guidelines identified in (b) above, are available as follows:

(i) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, U.S. Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333; and
(ii) American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Infectious Diseases, PO Box 927, Elk Grove, IL 60009-0927.

(c) The physician's or an advanced practice nurse’s (certified registered nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist) statement shall be retained as part of the child's immunization record and shall be reviewed annually by the school, preschool, or child care facility. When the child's medical condition permits immunization, this exemption shall thereupon terminate and the child shall be required to obtain the immunization(s) from which he or she has been exempted.

(d) Those children with medical exemptions to receiving specific immunizations may be excluded from the school, preschool, or child care facility during a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak or threatened outbreak as determined by the Commissioner, Health and Senior Services or his or her designee."

[110279hld]

Thank you soooo much!!! That was extremely helpful!!!!  I am going to get a letter from her doc and shove it in that nurse's face!!!!

[mysty2001]

No public school can MAKE you take any vaccines
they can pretend they can threaten
BUT it is against the law - they can require a docs note or a statement of faith
BUT they can not force vaccines - don;t let them bullyyou

if it is not public - they can do what they want