School Vaccination Deadline Extended

By Bill Zeeble, KERA News

Dallas, TX –

On the first day of school, Texas students - including thousands in North Texas - got an extension on newly required vaccinations. They get another 5 weeks. KERA's Bill Zeeble has more

The state added to this year's list of shots and boosters mandated for kindergarten, 7th grade, and high school. Without them, they would be turned away. And thousands were, including 7th grader Ariel Henley of Seagoville middle school.

Henley: I have to get three shots to start 7th grade. They said that we couldn't enroll without the three shots.

Two hours into her wait, Henley and several hundred others in line at Dallas County's Health and Human Services building on Stemmons got a reprieve from the state. They would have until September 30th to get the extra shots, and could attend school in the meantime. Henley stayed in line anyway, to take care of business.

HHS Director Zachary Thompson says he's been with the County department for 14 years and never seen lines like this.

Thompson: We definitely have tripled the number of patients we've seen in years past. We're calling this the perfect storm. One: The new state immunization regulations. Two: We found that there are a lot of clinics that didn't have enough vaccine on hand, and Three: Parents kind of waited till the last minute, so it created a perfect storm.

Thompson says the vaccine deadline is a good idea, because children need to be in school. But he warns those needing shots better not wait until the last minute, or there'll be a repeat of Monday's backup.

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