Bronx mother claims school gave HPV vaccine to son without permission

A Bronx mother says her 11-year-old son was given an HPV vaccination without her permission during a routine trip to the school nurse’s office.

News 12 Staff

Jun 11, 2019, 11:13 PM

Updated 1,781 days ago

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A Bronx mother says her 11-year-old son was given an HPV vaccination without her permission during a routine trip to the school nurse’s office.
Roxsanna Gautreax says she was told over the phone by the nurse at The New School for Leadership and the Arts that her son had been accidentally injured and needed ice for his face.
When her son came home from school, she noticed a bright green Band-Aid on his arm. The boy then explained that the nurse gave him a shot.
“I never gave her permission in that phone conversation,” she says. “Vaccination was never discussed.”
The middle school uses nurses from the Morris Heights Health Center, which operates in 20 Bronx schools and serves more than 10,000 students from K-12.
Along with the injection, the Bronx mom says her son was also handed a pamphlet on HPV. She claims her son was also asked about depression and the family's drinking habits – questions Gautreax believes are inappropriate for a sixth grader.
She says her son's school immunizations are up to date and that there was no reason for her child to be given a vaccination shot.
Through a statement, the Department of Education told News 12 that it is investigating the matter.
Gautreax says an administrator from the medical center told her that she would review proper protocol with the nurse.
She says that the disciplinary action doesn’t go far enough.
“You violated my child's body,” says Gautreax.
The Department of Education says they are investigating the matter. News 12 also reached out to Morris Heights Health Center for a statement.


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