Kol Ha’Emek School Vaccination Policy

2023 Policy Statement on Vaccine Status of Students and Staff of the Kol Ha’Emek Hebrew School

Vaccination has a Jewish context
Each year, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Paediatric Society publishes a “Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule.” Practicing pediatricians across North America recognize these schedules as the standard of care regarding childhood & adolescent vaccinations. Concurrently, the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) annually publish vaccine standards for adults.

Among our most cherished Jewish values is the imperative for preserving life and maintaining health. We embrace this value specifically by taking preventive measures to protect the public health of our school community as a whole. This is why we require all students and staff to adhere to the immunization standards described below. 

Vaccination is a shared responsibility and is our expectation
Parents send their children to Hebrew school and assume that their children will have positive social interactions, learn from the rich Jewish environment and be safe and healthy. Part of maintaining this environment means taking collective responsibility for reducing the risk of vaccine-preventable illnesses through the appropriate vaccination of all members of our school. Although individual families may choose to defer the vaccination of their children, at Kol Ha’Emek we cannot and will not defer the safety of our students and staff.

What we require
ALL THOSE PRESENT AT HEBREW SCHOOL ON SUNDAYS OR TUESDAYS are required to have completed the age-appropriate vaccine schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Canadian Paediatric Society, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Please note that some of these vaccines are provided as combined doses rather than individually, such as Pediarix or ProQuad. Ask your health care provider if you are not sure which vaccines you or your child(ren) have received.

What about catch-up vaccination schedules?

For students undergoing catch-up vaccination, the doses noted above may not be indicated or sufficient. Please discuss specific immunization catch-up strategies with your child’s health-care provider.

What about Gardasil HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine?

This vaccination provides long-lasting protection from cancers caused by HPV with two doses between ages 11-12 and is strongly endorsed by the American Cancer Society as a primary cancer prevention strategy. While this is not a vaccine that prevents the spread of an illness that directly affects the health of our students, it is a safe and effective vaccine that significantly decreases the risk of a very serious and life-threatening cancer. For this reason, we strongly endorse and recommend completion of this component of the childhood vaccination schedule. For more information, please refer to the CDC website “6 Reasons To Get HPV Vaccine For Your Child”: www.cdc.gov/hpv/infographics/vacc-six-reasons.html

Yes, there are exceptions to the Kol Ha’Emek vaccination policy, and they are very, very rare

We recognize that individuals who have had a documented allergy or severe adverse reaction to a particular vaccine may not be able to complete the immunization schedule outlined above. Additionally, individuals with medical conditions such as congenital immunodeficiency or HIV, cancer and who are receiving chemotherapy, transplant patients, and persons receiving immunosuppressive drugs and chronic steroids also may not be able to receive certain vaccines. In these extremely rare circumstances, current documentation from a Physician (MD or DO), or a Pediatric/Family Practice Advanced Practice Nurse (ARNP or PNP), describing the reason for exemption from immunization must be furnished to the Kol Ha’Emek Education Director. We are happy to discuss case by case management of the extremely rare circumstance of medical contraindication to partial or complete vaccination.

Parents must submit each child’s vaccination record with their registration.

Thank you!