Alberta Health Services (AHS) is being accused of attempting to vaccinate an elementary school child after parents wrote “refused” on the consent form.
The incident occurred at Edmonton Hardisty School last Wednesday where AHS staffers inoculated grade 6 students with HPV and hepatitis B vaccines.
According to Kerri Findling, the child’s mother, the class was called to the vaccination area, where students whose parents signed a form declining the vaccine were supposed to return to class.
However, Findling said that after AHS saw her child’s form, they instructed him to proceed to the vaccine station. When the child asked AHS if he could return to class, they replied, “No.”
After walking back to his class anyway, confident he was not supposed to receive the vaccine, Findling’s son was later called to the office. He was then asked to walk back to the vaccination area.
At that time, Findling told The Counter Signal that her son ran outside to hide in subzero temperatures, called his parents, and waited until they arrived.
“If a student leaves the vaccination center without receiving the vaccine, it should be up to the parents to get the vaccine at a different time, if they so desire, not the school to enforce vaccination on behalf of AHS,” Findling said.
Alberta Health Services blames “new hire” for the incident
Findling and her husband confronted AHS inside the school, where they were told the incident resulted from a “new hire.” AHS staff also said that the mistake would have been caught before an unapproved vaccination took place.
Findling believes AHS should be barred from schools due to the potential for intimidation by staff and administrators, the apparent disregard of parental consent, and the humiliation children may face for opting out of vaccinations.
“It is clear they do not prioritize parental rights, and in not doing so, they traumatize students,” she said.
After reaching out to the Edmonton school, the institution told The Counter Signal, “While the school provides space for the clinics, health professionals with AHS are responsible for ensuring consent is in place and for administering vaccinations.”
AHS told The Counter Signal that they acknowledged “that this family felt the process was not sufficient for their child” and stated they would “continue to work to communicate this process more clearly.”
They continued, “Alberta Health Services does not immunize any child without parental consent. Public Health Nurses follow strict procedures, requiring written parental consent before providing immunizations to students in schools.”
