Needles in the Dark: Parents Question Secretive School Vaccination Policies

It seems that many parents of students in SD79 who have expressed concerns about being left out of the loop regarding what happens at school continue to have their suspicions confirmed.

Last fall, we reported on a large school assembly that parents allegedly were not informed about. Now, we have been sent a letter purportedly circulated among staff at Kelsey High School. The letter reads:
“Please do not tell the students what day this is happening. FYI, the Grade 9 immunizations will happen on Tuesday, February 11th, from 9 to 1 p.m.
We will be calling down any Grade 10s who did not get their Grade 9 immunizations last year. We will call the students down by their last name (W to Z, T to V, etc.). This will be any missing vaccinations (such as HPV) and their Grade 9 vaccinations. This does NOT include flu or COVID vaccines. Please do not plan any field trips on this day.”

Two reasons we’ve heard from nurses about the secrecy surrounding these events are that “kids get nervous about needles.” and “When we used to let parents know the dates, we had low attendance at school those days.”

While parents may be sent a form to sign—if their child remembers to bring it home—the nurses ensure students are educated about the Infants Act, letting them know they can make their own medical decisions without parental consent. What could go wrong? Plenty, it seems.

One parent shared a troubling incident involving their child, who suffers from medical issues that contraindicate the MMR vaccine. Despite the parent signing papers instructing nurses not to approach their child, the nurses did so anyway, claiming they had no paperwork for him. The child, thankfully, ran away and left the school. When the parent later raised the issue at Margaret Moss, they asked if the nurses had access to children’s medical records. The response? They do not.

This raises serious concerns: how can nurses ask a child to make a medical decision without knowledge of their medical history? Vaccines are not one-size-fits-all, and many children have contraindications or have experienced past adverse reactions that only a parent or their family doctor might know about.
In another district, a parent sent a letter stating her child should not receive multiple vaccinations. Despite this, the nurses allegedly convinced the child she could die from cervical cancer if she didn’t receive the HPV vaccine. The child, second-guessing her mother, agreed to the vaccination and later suffered severe consequences.

Let’s recall when children wore medical bracelets to indicate allergies, such as to penicillin. Yet, today, there seem to be no similar precautions for vaccines like MMR or DTaP. Even the CDC’s simple, two-page vaccine information sheet outlines scenarios where vaccines should be avoided. It states:
“Talk with your health care provider. Tell your vaccination provider if the person getting the vaccine: Has had an allergic reaction after a previous dose of MMR or MMRV vaccine, or has any severe, life-threatening allergies. Is pregnant or thinks they might be pregnant—pregnant people should not get MMR vaccine. Has a weakened immune system, or has a parent, brother, or sister with a history of hereditary or congenital immune system problems. Has ever had a condition that makes him or her bruise or bleed easily. Has recently had a blood transfusion or received other blood products. Has tuberculosis. Has gotten any other vaccines in the past 4 weeks.” These questions are not included on the forms sent home for parents to fill out.

This begs a larger question: why are these medical procedures being conducted in schools in the first place? Historically, such procedures were done in a doctor’s office, where medical records could be consulted.

Additionally, what other medical procedures or talks might take place in the new Island Health building at the new high school? This facility, described during a school board meeting as being “slightly removed from the main building for privacy,” has sparked concerns. However, when we reached out to Island Health for details, no one we spoke to had any knowledge of this building and what it will be used for.

Is it time parents pushed for more transparency within their districts? Many think so.