RPS continues free vaccine program for middle and high schoolers

Vaccines are being administered at each of the RPS schools on a rotating basis. (Victoria A. Ifatusin/The Richmonder)

Richmond Public Schools is providing free vaccinations to middle and high school students for a fourth year.

“Vaccines are important because [they] help build what we call herd immunity,” said Candiece Bourne, the division’s nurse manager for school health services. “The more people that are vaccinated, the less likely we are to have an outbreak of those diseases.”

Virginia requires vaccines for all students to remain in school, unless they receive an exemption. RPS partners with the State Department of Health and the Richmond Henrico Health District in allowing school nurses to administer the TDAP – which prevents against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis – and Meningococcal vaccines – which prevents meningitis.

When asked about elementary school students, Bourne said because smaller children are in a more critical developmental stage, their regular doctors should see them and administer the vaccines. But she also emphasized that the division’s immunization clinics are an additional support on top of the regular doctor visits all students should have.

“We provide this service as a convenience to not only our families but our students so that they're not having to pull them out of school, make the appointment, and then get the vaccine,” she said. “They can stay in school, parents sign a consent form, giving us consent to provide it, and it's no out-of-pocket cost to our families.”