A recent situation has raised important questions about children's medical information privacy in schools. A Grade 1 student in a small, rural public school was recently sent home with Alberta Health Services (AHS) documents related to "missed vaccinations" during COVID-19. These documents, which included the child’s name and personal health number, were distributed via the school to facilitate catch-up vaccinations.

While these forms appear to aim to ensure children receive immunizations such as Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella (MMR-Var) and Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis, and Polio (Tdap-IPV), they have sparked concerns regarding privacy and the broader implications of administering health services in schools.

Key concerns include:

Privacy of Medical Information: Sharing personal health information, such as vaccination status and individual health numbers, through schools raises questions about the principle of medical confidentiality. Questions arise about why schools are involved in distributing such sensitive documents and who within the school has access to this information.

Risk of Ostracization: Marking "REFUSED" on the form could lead to the child being identified by peers or teachers as unvaccinated. Parents worry this could result in their children being ostracized or outed unnecessarily, exacerbating stigma or discrimination.

MRNA Vaccination Concerns: Parents also expressed unease about whether these vaccines include mRNA components, adding to broader concerns about vaccine transparency and informed consent.

Lack of Direct Medical Professional Involvement: Many argue that decisions regarding vaccinations should be made directly between families and healthcare providers. Some believe schools should not be intermediaries in these decisions, particularly in light of growing concerns about vaccine autonomy, safety, and privacy.

This situation underscores the need for a public discussion about the intersection of health services and education. While ensuring children are vaccinated is the current public health policy, respecting and protecting their privacy is even more critical. Policies around health information distribution in schools need to be revisited to ensure they align with reasonable expectations of privacy and informed consent.

What do you think? Should schools act as facilitators for vaccinations, or should this process be confined to healthcare providers and families?