More schools enforcing state vaccination law, sending kids home

At the time, Fox59 News talked to State Health Commissioner Dr. Gregory Larkin about how schools were supposed to be enforcing the law.
 
"It isn't our intention to exclude children from attending school if their vaccination history is not complete within that 20 day window," Larkin said.
 
This year, a department of health spokesperson said that view hasn't changed. A spokesperson for the Department of Education, which also works with schools on compliance, said that they leave it up to schools to enforce the law. Neither agency said they take any action if a school fails to comply.
 
"The State Department of Health says that they make these laws, but they don't enforce them," said Rae Wallis, head of nursing for IPS. "The Department of Education says that they want kids in school, so we're in between a rock and a hard place."
 
IPS expects many of the 5,000 students without proof of their shots, to comply by the Monday deadline. If not they will be sent home.
 
In order to comply with the law a student must at least notify the school of a doctor's appointment to obtain the required shots. Students may also obtain a medical or religious waiver.
 
Parents in Marion County are told to call the Marion County Health Depatment in order to find out where to get the immunizations. Please call 221-2122 for more information.