SAN ANTONIO – The parents of a North East Independent School District student have withdrawn their child from the district after he was given a flu vaccine without their consent, district officials said.
District officials say the incident, which involved a student previously enrolled at Steubing Ranch Elementary, happened on Tuesday during the district’s flu clinic.
Students who had returned consent forms were given their flu shots at the clinic as they were called up to the line. However, representatives from the third-party vaccine administrator, Health Hero America, did not verify that the student’s name on the form matched who they called to the line.
“One boy thought his name was called because (his name) sounds almost identical to another student’s name, so he got into the line,” said Aubrey Chancellor, the district’s executive director of communications. “The third party company, Health Hero America, was supposed to check the forms to verify information matched to the student in line.”
According to Chancellor, the student who was given a flu shot did not have a parental consent form.
Chancellor said this was the first time NEISD had contracted Health Hero America, and it would “likely be the last.”
“We are very disappointed that the administrator of the vaccine did not verify the student’s identity. This should not have happened,” Chancellor said.
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