300 New Britain students at risk of missing first day of school amid new vaccine rules
More than 300 students in New Britain still need required vaccinations before the start of the school year, and district officials are urging families to act quickly ahead of the first day of classes on Aug. 31.
The district has been working to help families meet updated immunization requirements, including hosting vaccine clinics at schools. However, hundreds of students remain out of compliance.
As families prepare for the new school year, New Britain students who do not meet Connecticut’s immunization requirements will not be allowed to attend school.
“Protect the kids, protect the school,” said New Britain father Patrick Brew. “It’s a good idea.”
The stricter enforcement follows a February vote by the New Britain Board of Education to update district policy.
Previously, the policy stated that students “may” be denied attendance if they were not fully vaccinated. The board changed the language to state: “The Board shall deny entrance into or continued attendance…” for students who do not meet vaccination requirements.
“It is something obviously would be an impetus to get more families to be in compliance,” Superintendent Dr. Tony Gasper said in February.
The policy change came after the district reported that more than 1,800 students were not in compliance with vaccination requirements at the same time last year.
Statewide school vaccination rates reached their highest levels in at least a decade last year following changes to exemption rules.
“Vaccines are safe. They’re very effective,” said Dr. Andrew Carlson of Connecticut Children’s.
Connecticut remains one of the nation’s leading states for childhood vaccination rates. However, health experts say vaccination rates have declined nationally amid confusion about vaccines.
“If you have a local community, for instance, that happened in the New York area, that doesn’t vaccinate or chooses not to vaccinate, you’re at very high risk for those local outbreaks, and then that puts those medically fragile at risk,” Carlson said.
The New Britain school district declined an interview request Tuesday. NBC Connecticut also has not received a response to questions about why the district did not previously appear to fully enforce vaccination requirements.
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