Editor's Note: This story is part of The Partnership Project, a series of content written in an effort by The Daily News to follow the formal collaboration of Ball State University and Muncie Community Schools.
Muncie school leaders are making sure each family in the district can get their kids vaccinated at no cost to them.
At the Muncie Community Schools board meeting on Tuesday, the board approved a proposal with both CareDox and Healthy Schools to provide free flu shots and vaccines throughout the district.
CareDox is a nationwide health corporation focused on improving children’s health, and Healthy Schools provides nurses to schools free of charge, according to the proposal.
The school would set up times during the school day where kids would go to the clinic, hand a consent form signed by their parents or guardians to a nurse and get vaccinated.
In total, CareDox and Healthy Schools said students would be out of class for about 15 minutes.
Emergency Manager Steve Edwards said the only way students can participate in the free program is to follow the consent guidelines and bring the form in hand to the nurse when called out of class.
“They won’t be given a vaccination without parents’ consent,” Edwards said.
Not only is the program free to students and families, but it is offered at no cost to MCS and some other school districts CareDox and Healthy Schools partner with.
Board members did not know Tuesday how many of MCS’ students are unvaccinated.
Edwards said there is no set date for the program to begin yet, but he expects it to start next school year, possibly in the fall semester.
Contact Sara Barker with comments at slbarker3@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @sarabarker326.
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