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Ohio Schools Struggle to Get Students Vaccinated
By: Associated Press
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DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Schools in Ohio are struggling to get students vaccinated and keep track of those who are immunized.
The Dayton Daily News reports that 75 percent of Ohio elementary schools have failed to document every incoming kindergartener as vaccinated or exempt from vaccination by the state deadline this school year. At 158 schools, at least 30 percent of students started the 2016-17 school year without all needed shots documented.
Health officials say students who don’t receive shots put people who cannot be vaccinated in jeopardy. Officials say babies and children with compromised immune systems are among the vulnerable population.
The state does not have the authority to force schools to report their vaccine records. Some legislators hope to reintroduce a measure that will help with the gap in vaccinations.