Parents furious after unvaccinated child sent home from school

Two Michigan parents are furious after their son was kicked out of school and told not to return until April 14 because he is not vaccinated.

On Thursday, the parents of Michael Donovan, an 11-year-old who attends Derby Middle School in Birmingham, Mich., were warned about sending their son to school, WJBK reports. They sent him anyway, but he was sent home Friday because he was lacking vaccinations and a student in his class has chicken pox.

"I don't think it's really fair… just because I didn't get a shot," Michael told the station.

"I don't get to see my friends," he added. "Everybody gets to go to school except me."

A spokesperson for the district says they regret the concern this is causing parents, but the safety and health of students is their top priority. Around 15 families whose students have not been vaccinated have been contacted by the district.

The students will be allowed to return to school Monday if they get vaccinated, or they must wait until April 14. The Donovans say Michael will be getting a tutor so he doesn’t fall behind on schoolwork.

The family isn’t keen on vaccines because they believe immunizations played a role in the development of their 12-year-old daughter’s autism, WJBK reports.

"It's like they're singling families out that choose not to immunize and, quite frankly, it's wrong," said Michael's father, Dan.