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Metro Schools: Over half of 7th graders don't have immunizations

Over half of seventh-graders enrolled in Metro Nashville Public Schools have not received their required immunizations.

Posted Updated

By
Kara Apel
NASHVILLE, TN — Over half of seventh-graders enrolled in Metro Nashville Public Schools have not received their required immunizations.

Metro Schools officials say 52 percent, or 2,174 students, have not given the school district proof of their vaccinations.

Students have until Wednesday, Aug. 16, to turn in proof of their immunizations. Starting Thursday, Aug. 17, students without their Tennessee Immunization Certificate will not be allowed to attend school.

Missing school days due to a lack of immunization records does not count as an excused absence.

Before entering the seventh grade, students need to have the tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster, or "Tdap" vaccine. They also need to show proof of immunity to varicella, also known as chicken pox, by getting two doses of the vaccine or proving history of the disease.

"Our first reporting window was yesterday, and we have a lot of work to do," said Dr. Tony R. Majors, executive officer of Student Services, in a news release.

Officials are still waiting for reports from Gra-Mar Middle School, Madison Middle School and Margaret Allen Middle Prep.

"Despite our efforts to inform families of the additional immunizations required for seventh grade, we continue to see large numbers of students arrive without proof they have had these vaccines," Majors said in a news release.

Students can get the immunizations and the certificate from their doctor or from the Metro Public Health Department.

Below is a list of the public health centers in Nashville:

Lentz Public Health Center

2500 Charlotte Avenue - Suite 120

615-340-5607

8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

Closed for staff meetings the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

East Nashville Public Health Center

1015 East Trinity Lane

615-862-7916

7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

Closed for staff meetings the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Woodbine Public Health Center

224 Oriel Street

615-862-7940

7 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

Thursday 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Closed for staff meetings on the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

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