FILE - Vaccines at a pop-up clinic held at McDaniel High School in Northeast Portland, Feb. 8, 2023.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Oregon state officials are reminding parents and families to submit vaccination records for their children, as required by state law.
Feb. 21 is “School Exclusion Day” in Oregon, the day by which families must submit vaccination record data for their children to show they’ve received their vaccinations or have an exemption.
Families that have not submitted current vaccination records will receive a letter from Oregon Health Authority informing them how to do so. All letters were sent by Feb. 7, according to an OHA press release.
Related: Oregon doctor sees rising exemption requests for childhood vaccines, says more education needed
Children without up-to-date vaccination records by Feb. 21 will be sent home. Last year, school officials sent home more than 4,000 students until their families submitted vaccination records.
“Vaccine-preventable diseases can be highly contagious, with several cases of measles recently taking place in the Pacific Northwest and across the U.S.,” said Stacy de Assis Matthews of the Oregon Health Authority in a press release. “Immunizations remain the best way to stop that spread, keeping kids and school communities healthy and safe.”
This comes amid concerns that more parents are seeking vaccine exemptions for their children. There were six confirmed cases of measles in Southwest Washington in January, according to The Columbian.