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71 Rochester Students Ordered Out Of Class Over Vaccination Concerns

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Dozens of students in one Minnesota school district were ordered out of class Wednesday.

The Rochester School District says 71 students failed to provide documentation that shows they received their vaccines.

Rochester Public School Board members voted last week to enforce a state law that requires students be immunized or be officially exempt for reasons such as health or religion.

Students had to submit the proper paperwork to the school district in order to prove they are exempt by Wednesday.

The Rochester School district said the decision to prohibit students from attending class that did not have official documentation that they received their vaccines is simply enforcing a state law.

Some of the vaccines required by the state of Minnesota Include measles, mumps, chicken pox and tetanus.

The deadline falls on the same week two Minnesota Wild Hockey players fell sick with the mumps, one of the vaccinations the state requires.

Dr. Gigi Chawla of Children's Minnesota believes this highlights just how important immunizations are to people's health.

"I think that's an important highlight for why it is just so relevant to be talking about this... [vaccines] protect kids and they save kid's lives," she said.

Rochester Public Schools claims principals and office staff are continuing to work with families for the proper documentation and will continue to do so throughout the day.

The impacted students are reportedly spread fairly evenly throughout the district.

Students removed from class will be immediately eligible to re-enroll when they submit the proper documents.

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