#Maine children given flu shots at school without parental consent

Three children in Maine were given flu shots in school without the consent of their parents, a report said.

The students, who are enrolled in the Sanford School Department, received the vaccinations from Northern Light Home Care & Hospice, which is contracted by the district to administer the shots, the Portsmouth Herald reported.

The three students were vaccinated “without fully executed, or completely documented consent,” Jacqueline Welsh, community relations director for Northern Light Health, told the newspaper.

George Kimball, a father in the school district, told the Herald that his seventh-grade daughter received a flu shot without his consent.

Kimball said he indicated on the vaccination consent forms that he did not want his two kids to be vaccinated.

The father said a school nurse apologized to him for the mishap on Oct. 22 — the same day his daughter received the flu shot.

Sanford Superintendent of Schools Matthew Nelson acknowledged the issue, but told the newspaper an investigation determined that only two students were improperly vaccinated.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed that this happened,” Nelson said.

“We’re going to use this opportunity to review our protocols and see if any changes need to take place to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”