Fairfax County School Board Mount Vernon District representative Mateo Dunne provided
Mount Vernon On the MoVe with a “School Entrance Immunization Update” from FCPS
Superintendent Michelle Reid. The update shows that as of Oct. 2, Region 3 schools had a 6.2% noncompliance rate for immunizations, down from 19% in mid-July. The Region 3 pyramids are Edison, Mount Vernon, and West Potomac. In comparison, other FCPS Regions had noncompliance rates ranging from 3.5% to 6.8% in early October, according to a graphic showing “Rate of Immunization Non-compliance by Region for SY24-25.”
According to leaders from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), just over 9,000 students were still in need of one or more vaccinations to meet state immunization requirements as of late September 2024.
Without the necessary vaccinations, currently enrolled FCPS students are at risk of being
unenrolled — Virginia law requires students to complete their required immunizations within
90 calendar days after enrollment.
Exactly what percentage of those students is from FCPS Region 3 is uncertain according to an FCPS spokesperson, since numbers change daily. The most recent FCPS data shows that most non-compliant students county-wide are missing doses for the Meningococcal Conjugate (MenACWY/MCV4) vaccine and the Polio (IPV) vaccine, said the spokesperson.
To tackle the problem, FCPS is launching immunization clinics in October.
Through a partnership with Safeway Pharmacy, FCPS is offering free immunizations for
all students. The vaccination clinics will take place Oct. 8, 12 and 28 at Frost Middle
School in Fairfax, Virginia, and shuttle transportation is available during select hours
from several schools around the Richmond Highway Corridor. Students under age 19 are
required to have parental/guardian consent and be accompanied by a parent or
guardian to the appointments, which can be pre-scheduled.
On early release Mondays — the next of which is Oct. 21 in Region 3 schools —
elementary school students can get free school-required immunizations from the Fairfax
County Health Department (FCHD) at the Mount Vernon District Office health clinic at
8350 Richmond Highway, #233. Parents can schedule appointments by calling 703-246-
7100.
The FCHD also will hold immunization clinics at middle and high schools starting in
October with three free vaccines offered: Tdap, Meningococcal and HPV. Students may
only get immunized at the school where they are enrolled, and parent/guardian consent
is required. Clinics will be held Oct. 9 at South County Middle School; Oct. 16 at West
Potomac High School, Quander Road School and Pulley Center; Oct. 21 at Mount Vernon
High School; Oct. 31 at Hayfield Secondary School; Nov. 21 at Walt Whitman Middle
School; Nov. 22 at South County High School; and Dec. 12 at Bryant High School.
Families can refer to FCPS’ “How to Submit Immunization Documents” webpage to learn how to
submit vaccination records, including for medical and religious exemptions.
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