No Class For Those Without Vaccines

Nearly 12,000 Affected in Md.

Nearly 12,000 students across Maryland -- including about 4,100 in Prince George's County alone -- cannot go to class because they failed to meet a final state deadline for receiving vaccines for chickenpox and hepatitis B.

About 5,000 of the students who have not complied with the new state requirement that all students in grades 6 through 9 be immunized are in the Baltimore school system, according to the Associated Press.

"According to state regulations, these students cannot be in school until their vaccinations are completed," said John White, a spokesman for the Prince George's school system. "We'll do our best to support them to make sure they keep up with their work."

William Reinhard, a spokesman for the Maryland State Department of Education, said he did not have a statewide count of how many students missed the Jan. 2 deadline. In Montgomery, Howard, Charles and St. Mary's counties, yesterday was a professional day, and there were no classes. In Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties, classes started two hours late because of a snowstorm the previous night. But a tally of 12 of 24 other Maryland school districts showed that 2,600 students had failed to comply with the rule.

"They've been sending certified letters, they've been doing public service ads," Reinhard said, describing local districts' measures to alert parents. But if all else failed, "a good way to reach them is by keeping their children out of school. That gets their attention fast."

Many school systems had given their students a grace period allowing them to attend class until yesterday. When the first deadline passed, more than 6,000 students in the Maryland suburbs were out of compliance. In Prince George's, nearly 5,900 of the 134,000 students were out of compliance. School officials made clinic appointments for those who hadn't been immunized, but White said that many didn't show up.

"We've made the appointments, but they have to keep the appointments," he said.

Montgomery schools spokesman Brian Edwards said last night that he had not seen the latest figures but that fewer than 100 students had still not received vaccinations.

In Howard, an estimated 245 students still had not been vaccinated yesterday, according to Patti Caplan, a spokeswoman for the school system.

"Letters have been sent to their families," Caplan said. If students return to school today without having had their shots, their parents will be called. Free clinics will provide shots today and tomorrow. Students who have not had their shots will be barred from school, Caplan said.

In Anne Arundel, classes ended yesterday with 53 students -- 45 in high school and eight in middle school -- without their shots or proof of immunization.

That number had budged only slightly since Friday, when 59 students were missing their shots. "We've tried to be strict and vigilant in getting students to be in compliance and reminding parents," said Tony Ruffin, a schools spokesman. "We sent students home and called their parents, trying to remind them about this."

Reinhard said he had hoped for a solution "sooner rather than later."

"This is a critical time right now," he said. At the high school level, some freshmen are taking the high school assessment tests, a graduation requirement. "They're starting second semester right now. That's some critical learning time."

Staff writers Daniel de Vise, Megan Greenwell, Mary Otto and William Wan contributed to this report.