2019/2020 Immunization Info!

2019/2020 Immunization Info!

Dear Parents and Guardians,
 
Greetings! The Pennsylvania Department of Health has revised the immunization requirements for students effective the 2017-2018 school year.  The revision replaces the 8-month provisional period for immunizations with the new requirement of a 5-day provisional period for students who do not have records of immunizations at the start of the required school year.
 
Prior to August 2017, a parent had 8 months to complete all required immunizations.  This period is called the provisional enrollment.
 
Beginning August 2017, the provisional enrollment period is 5 days.  A parent must have all immunizations of his/her child completed within the first 5 days of school.  If the immunizations are not completed within those 5 days, the student must be excluded from school.
 
If the student is in the middle of a series of immunizations and it is too soon for the next dose, the parents must provide the school nurse with a plan for immunizations (signed by a health care provider) within the first 5 days of school.  If the student has incomplete immunizations and no medical plan, the student must be excluded from school.
 
For your information, the following immunizations are needed for school attendance.  Note that changes from the current requirements are highlighted.
 
Children in ALL grades (K-8) need the following immunizations for attendance:

• 4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (1 dose on or after 4^th birthday) (Tdap)
• 4 doses of polio (4^th dose on or after 4^th birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given) (IPV)
• 2 doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
• 3 doses pf hepatitis B (Hep B)
• 2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) or evidence of immunity (history of chickenpox or antibody titer)

• 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap)
• 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4)