Manhattan High School students may not know the ins and outs of required immunizations, school nurse Robin Mall is checking on immunization compliance and helping students catch up with missing immunizations. 

Students are each mandated to have certain immunizations. These requirements are enforced by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and USD 383. 

“I am responsible for making sure that students who are in attendance are in compliance with the guidelines set by USD 383 and the KDHE,”Mall said.

Certain vaccinations are optional, including the flu, COVID and human papillon virus vaccines. These vaccines are strongly recommended for high school ages.

“I feel it is very important to help limit the spread of viruses so we can recieve our education,” sophomore Shenley O’Neil said.

Last year MHS offered several vaccination clinics for covid and meningitis. However, this year Mall isn’t sure if any will happen.

“If a student has issues where they are not able for whatever reason to [meet the requirements], they just need to come and let me know so that I can help them navigate the system,” Mall said. 

A student who doesn’t meet one or more of these requirements will be notified on what they need, how they can get it and how to get that information to administration.

“At the beginning of the year we had 341 students that were not compliant with the immunization requirements,” Mall said. “And now that number is down to about 275.”