7/29/2019 Hep B School Mandates

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Hepatitis B in Vermont

Hep B cases>14 years age

Acute Chronic

20110 0

20100 2

2009

0 32008

0 2

20070 4

http://healthvermont.gov/pubs/IDB/

7/29/2019 Hep B School Mandates

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Abuse of School MandatesThe HPV and Hepatitis B vaccines raise another serious question.Should a child be barred from school for missing a vaccine that suppresses

an infection that cannot be transmitted or contracted at school?

The original, rational intent of school required vaccines was to prevent schools frombeing contagion hubs for highly infectious, dangerous diseases that are easily

contracted in the classroom setting. HPV and Hepatitis B have infective profiles

equal to HIV, all are blood borne pathogens. The risk of student to student

transmission of HIV is considered so low that the law allows known HIV positive

students to attend school. Yet without a philosophical exemption it is being proposedthat a student who is simply is not vaccinated for Hepatitis B be excluded from his

constitutionally guaranteed, tax financed public education. Even though he is no

infection threat to anyone, whether Hepatitis B positive or not.

Doesnt the inclusion of infections that cannot be contracted in the course of anormal school day represent an abuse of the School Attendance Requirement?

It is perfectly appropriate for Public Health to encourage use of vaccines, but should

it be able to keep a child out of school for not getting a shot for something he can

neither transmit nor contract without engaging in intimate, probably illegal behavior?