Immunizations, marijuana, concussions and communicable disease highlighted discussions at the Ben Appelbaum Medical Issues Forum at the 2015 ACA National Conference in New Orleans. Back for its 14th year, the popular forum features three of the world’s top camp health experts: Edward “Skip” Walton, M.D., Christopher Thurber, Ph.D, and Linda Erceg, R.N.

We’ll review the key issues raised in a series of Broad & Bright newsletters. The first reviews immunizations for diseases like measles and whooping cough and the impact on camps in 2015.

Edward “Skip” Walton, M.D., opened the forum, reading a powerful letter written by Roald Dahl about the 1962 death of his daughter, Olivia, from measles. In the letter, Dahl explains how his daughter was unable to get immunized and urges parents to examine the facts and immunize their children against this once-eradicated disease.

Skip discussed the implications of low immunization rates on schools and camps, explaining that measles and whooping cough (Pertussis) – the most contagious diseases – need an estimated 93 percent of the population to be resistant to prevent an outbreak if an infected person comes into the community. This is called the “herd effect.”

He cited a current USA Today analysis that reported nearly one in seven public and private schools have measles vaccination rates below 90 percent. He also discussed an outbreak of whooping cough in his home state of Michigan, where unvaccinated students were forced to stay home from school for 20 days – a step he said public health officials may take if a similar outbreak occurred at camps.

WHAT CAMPS SHOULD DO

Linda Erceg, R.N., offered these tips for camps in dealing with the immunization issue:

• Review last summer’s health records to determine what percent of your camp population was immunized. “This information may be important for parents of kids who, for medical reasons, cannot be immunized. They (and you) may well be interested in the camp’s herd immunity,” she said.

• Get a handle on your camp’s policy regarding immunizations. “Your state Health Department sets baseline expectations for immunizations but your camp can also set its own immunization policy,” she said. “So talk with your leadership team and make a decision; what is your stance on immunizations?”

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

What are camps required to do legally? Our Alan Cooper, Esq., offers this clarification:

While schools and day care centers operate under their own set of rules, as private organizations camps are generally free to set their own policies concerning immunizations. One exception may lie where a child who cannot be immunized for legitimate medical reasons may be protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Private organizations have no duty to honor requests for religious exemptions.

If a camp decides to allow non-immunized campers or staff, we suggest that the parent (or adult staff member) execute a waiver along the following lines:

RELEASE AND INDEMNITY

I, ………………………….. , parent and/or natural guardian of ……………………………… (“child”), acknowledge that for personal and/or religious reasons, child has not received the following immunizations.

I understand that there may be other children who have also received no such immunizations, and I assume any associated risk on my child’s behalf. I agree to waive any cause of action on my behalf or on behalf of child that may arise from child’s contraction of any disease for which he/she is not immunized, and further I agree to save and hold harmless Camp (NAME), its directors, owners, agents, or employees, from any claim or cause of action made against it by any third party as a result of child’s lack of immunizations, including but not limited to any judgment, claim, award, settlement, damages, and/or payments, including attorneys fees and other costs of litigation, and that I am so agreeing in order to induce Camp (NAME) to enroll child for the upcoming camp season.

I understand that in the event of an outbreak of a disease that my child is not immunized for, at the Camp’s discretion I may be dismissed from camp for all or part of the remaining season, and that in such case no refund of tuition will be given.

By: …………………………..

Dated: ……………………..

In the next Broad & Bright, we will cover communicable diseases and Linda Erceg’s recommendations for preparing for communicable disease at camp.

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