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October 7, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Schools Deliver Truancy Reports; Unimmunized Students at Issue" Washington Times (www.washtimes.com) (10/04/02) P. B1; Barnes, Denise
Seventy-three student truancy reports from Washington, D.C., school officials were sent to D.C. Superior Court on October 4th, and judges were faced with having to decide whether to file truancy or neglect charges against the parents and guardians who failed to have their children immunized for school attendance. The charges under the Compulsory School Attendance Law could subject the adults to fines of over $100 and incarceration of five or more days, according to Ralph H. Neal, assistant superintendent of Student and School Support Services. Seventy of the noncomplying students are high school age. Neal says that non-compliance letters were mailed to parents during the summer and again last month; however, as of Sept. 3, 6,600 children had still not received the required immunizations. Tommy Wells, the school board member who introduced the mandatory immunization policy last year, said he is not happy about having to involve the courts, but he notes it does present an opportunity to determine whether there is a problem at home and puts most of the noncompliance responsibility on the parents.
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