With the 2024-2025 school year in full swing, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is still working to get thousands of students up to date on their required vaccinations.
FCPS officials reported last week that over 9,000 students — down from 29,000 in July — still need vaccinations against diseases like measles, polio and meningitis, potentially putting their enrollment at risk. The division has approximately 181,000 enrolled students for this year, as of September, according to FCPS data.
“Some of them are enrolled, but we do have a number of students waiting to get enrolled due to immunization as well, and a number risking being unenrolled if they don’t get their shots,” Superintendent Michelle Reid told the school board at its meeting on Thursday (Sept. 25). “So, it is a problem for sure.”
An FCPS spokesperson told FFXnow that there is no set deadline yet for students to get state-mandated vaccinations.
However, at last week’s meeting, school board members urged school staff to speed up the process.
“We are already…more than a month into school, and we have over 9,000 kids waiting to get immunization shots, that is criminal. That is criminal, Dr. Reid,” At-Large Representative Ilryong Moon said.
FCPS Chief Academic Officer Sloan Presidio noted that about half of the unvaccinated students come from multilingual households, and 70% are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, facing language barriers, transportation issues and limited healthcare access.
To mitigate these challenges, Presidio mentioned that FCPS has partnered with Safeway Pharmacy and the Fairfax County Health Department to offer onsite vaccination clinics through December. The school system is also actively contacting families via phone calls, mass texts and emails to inform them about the clinics.
“We’ve got a ways to go, but we’re making really good progress,” Presidio told school board members during the meeting.
Safeway will offer free immunizations to all FCPS students at Frost Middle School (4101 Pickett Road) on Tuesday, Oct. 8, from 3-7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Students under 19 with a scheduled appointment and parental consent must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or another adult over 19. Appointments are recommended to reduce waiting times, although walk-ins are welcome.
Starting in October, the health department will also offer no-cost immunizations for elementary students on Early Release Mondays at its district offices. Parents are encouraged to call 703-246-7100 to schedule appointments based on their child’s school pyramid.
Starting today (Tuesday), additional vaccination clinics for middle and high school students will be held during school hours through December. The clinics will administer Tdap, Meningococcal and HPV vaccines at no cost.
Vaccinations are available only at the student’s enrolled school, and parental or guardian consent is required for participation.
