VACCINATIONS

Helpful Information for Unvaccinated Students/Staff

Perry County School District 32 is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment to all students, staff and visitors.

Therefore, we are providing this helpful information for students who are not vaccinated due to medical or religious exemptions. Immunization records, including documentation of medical or religious exemptions, are kept on file in our health offices, as required by Missouri law.

Missouri allows schools to hold unvaccinated students

out of class during infectious disease exposure.

This means that any person who has not been vaccinated against an infectious/communicable disease may be excluded from campus and activities to prevent the spread of the disease.

Below are two examples of exclusion procedures that will be followed by Perry County School District 32 during an infectious/communicable disease outbreak: Varicella/Chicken Pox and Rubella/Measles.

Varicella/Chicken Pox:

Unvaccinated people will be excluded from campus and activities until all the blisters have dried into scabs; usually by day 6 after the rash began. It takes 10 -14 days after receiving vaccine to develop immunity. Vaccine failures occasionally occur. The incubation period is 10 to 21 days. Therefore, exclude District 32 will exclude students/staff/vistors who:

  • Appear to have chickenpox regardless of whether or not they have received varicella vaccine, or

  • Develop blisters within 10 to 21 days after vaccination.

Chickenpox can occur even if someone has had the varicella vaccine. These are referred to as “breakthrough infections” and are usually less severe and have an atypical presentation. Bumps rather than blisters may be present; therefore, scabs may not be present. These cases should be excluded:

  • Until all bumps/blisters/scabs (sores) have faded and no new sores have occurred within a 24-hour period, whichever is later. Sores do not need to be completely resolved.

Although extremely rare, the vaccine virus has been transmitted to susceptible contacts by vaccine recipients who develop a rash following vaccination. Therefore, exclude vaccine recipients who develop a rash after receiving varicella vaccine, using the above criteria.

Exposed children without symptoms do not need to stay home unless chickenpox develops.

Rubella/Measles:

Any person who has not been vaccinated against rubella (measles) will be prohibited from being on campus for classes or activities if:

They are not vaccinated within 72 hours of potential exposure to the virus, for at least 2 weeks after the onset of rash in the last person who developed measles.

You can read more about exclusion for infectious diseases by visiting the Missouri Health Department website at https://health.mo.gov. The Prevention of Communicable Diseases handbook can be viewed or downloaded at https://health.mo.gov/safety/ childcare/pdf/PreventionandControlofCommunicableDiseases.pdf.

If you think your child has been exposed to a communicable disease, please consult your healthcare provider.

When your child is sick and you’re wondering if you should send them to school, visit our PES Health Office page at https://sites.google.com/a/pcsd32.com/pes-nursing-office/when-your-child-is-sick for guidelines.