DC school vaccine deadline for some students begins Tuesday

D.C. school students from pre-K through grade five who are still out of compliance when it comes to vaccinations will not be allowed into classrooms beginning Tuesday.

Students at all D.C. schools, including public, private and parochial, are required to be up-to-date on their vaccinations.

The first date of exclusion of non-compliant students is:

- October 11, 2022 for Pre-K 3 through Grade 5

- November 4, 2022 for Grades 6-12

- January 3, 2023 for COVID-19 Vaccination (For Students Age 12 and Older)

D.C. school officials have been warning about high non-compliance rates since the summer.

School leaders have been directed to allow a two-week grace period for out-of-compliance students who have upcoming vaccine appointments and for families whose paperwork is being processed.

FOX 5’s Ayesha Khan reports that according to the online publication Axios - as of last month - more than 26 percent of D.C. school students are out of compliance.

Schools in wards 2 and 7 show the highest non-compliance rates of more than 28 percent.

In an effort to get more children up-to-date on their shots, DC Health has opened several clinics including one at Children’s National Hospital offering vaccinations through Nov. 18.