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Carteret school board approves MOU allowing health department to offer vaccines in schools
Summary
The Carteret County Board of Education approved a 2025–26 memorandum of understanding that allows the Carteret County Health Department to facilitate administration of vaccines in district schools after debate about parental involvement and accessibility.
The Carteret County Board of Education voted Aug. 5 to approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Carteret County Health Department that allows the health department to facilitate the administration of vaccines in district schools for the 2025–26 school year.
Board members debated the MOU during the meeting. One board member moved to oppose the MOU, saying administration of medical procedures should take place “with the direct involvement of parents” and that families whose children lack required vaccinations could be referred to the health department or served at occasional weekend clinics. That motion was discussed but not adopted.
Other board members said offering vaccinations at school is a convenience that can improve access for families, particularly those living “down east,” and cited personal experience using school-based health services. The board then approved a motion to adopt the MOU; Miss Chadwick moved the approval and Mr. White seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote; the transcript records the chair asking “All in favor?” and members answering in the affirmative.
Mr. White disclosed he serves on an advisory committee to the health department in a volunteer capacity and said he has no financial interest in the arrangement. The board did not record a roll-call tally in the meeting transcript, and the MOU text and finer implementation details (for example, whether parental written consent procedures would change or how clinics would be scheduled) were not specified during the public portion of the meeting.
The transcript shows discussion focused on accessibility and parental involvement; one board member suggested referring families to the health department or offering Saturday appointments as an alternative, while another emphasized convenience for families who might otherwise need to travel to Morehead City for shots. The MOU itself was described in the meeting only as allowing the health department to “facilitate the administration of vaccines in our schools.”
