Some students may be removed from school if they don’t receive the government-required TdaP vaccination to prevent whooping cough by Wednesday, Sept. 28. Students can choose to “opt out” from recieving the vaccenie, but must have a parent signed waiver to do so. Waivered students may be asked to leave school if an outbreak were to occur.

The TDaP booster shot, now required by the State of California for all students between grades seven and twelve, protects against Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis, the highly contagious bacterial infection better known as whooping cough.

Whooping cough was classified as an epidemic in California last year, after 10 infants died. San Diego County alone had over a thousand cases of the infection, whose symptoms include runny nose, slight fever, and the infamous “whoop”-like cough, said school nurse Kristina Martinez. The vaccination has become required not only to protect students, but also to protect younger siblings, for whom the disease is particularly deadly, said Martinez.

Over 800 students in early August still hadn’t either received the vaccine, or signed the exemption waiver, said Principal Timo Hornig. A whooping cough related all-call was made, and as of early September only a hundred such students remain district wide. These students have been given a 30-day extension to the government-required Aug. 29 deadline. If these students remain unaccounted for past the new date of Sept. 28, they will be removed from class, though Martinez questions if students will actually be sent home. “We have a big week coming up,” Hornig said. “That deadline is almost here.”

However, some students have not received the shot, despite the requirements. Martinez believes it may have to do with the price. With vaccinations ranging from $50 to $60, many families are unable to afford the expensive booster, said Martinez.

Martinez is worried about non-vaccinated students if an outbreak were to occur. State laws would require waivered students to be sent home until the disease is contained, a process that could take weeks. Not only would they be at risk of contracting the infection, they’d also have to deal with weeks of missed classes. “And at our school, you know how difficult that can be,” said Martinez. She hopes parents will understand and allow their children the TDaP. “It’s not just a district rule,” said Martinez. “It’s a state law.”