BACK TO SCHOOL IMMUNIZATIONS

By Shana Chavez

SWUPHD

Do you have a child entering kindergarten or 7th grade? Did you recently move to Utah and have school-age kids? Make sure your family is ready for the school year. While most parents know their kids need vaccines to attend school, some may not realize that school immunization rules can vary from state to state. For instance, schools in all 50 states require DTaP vaccine while only 17 states require Hepatitis A vaccine. School immunization requirements can also differ by grade level. Vaccines that are required for early childhood programs are different from those required for kindergarten. There are also additional vaccines required for 7th grade entry that are not required in elementary school. If you have children who will be entering a Utah school or early childhood program or if you have a student advancing from one school to another, say elementary to middle school, you’ll want to know what immunizations are required for them to begin their next school year.

Below is a summary of Utah immunization requirements for the 2022-2023 school-year, listed by grade entry level. All of the immunizations listed are part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s routine vaccination schedule.

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM Children enrolled in a licensed day care center, nursery or preschool, child care facility, family home care, or Head Start Program must be immunized appropriately for their age with the following vaccines: • DTaP, Polio, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, MMR,

Varicella (chickenpox), Hib, and Pneumococcal KINDERGARTEN Students enrolling in kindergarten through 6th grade should have received the following doses: • 5 DTaP • 4 Polio • 2 Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) • 3 Hepatitis B • 2 Hepatitis A • 2 Varicella (chickenpox) 7TH GRADE Students enrolling in 7th grade through 12th grade should have received all vaccines on the kindergarten list, plus the following which are routinely administered at age 11-12 years: • 1 Tdap • 1 Meningococcal

The information provided here is a general reference. Due to the complexity of immunization rules and each child’s unique vaccination history, your student’s record will need to be individually assessed to determine if they are adequately immunized for their age and grade level. A good opportunity to make sure your child is up-to-date on immunizations is by scheduling the recommended annual check-up with your child’s primary care physician. Vaccination appointments may also be scheduled at any of our Southwest Utah Public Health Department offices (location and contact information can be found on page 5). We accept several private insurances and also participate in the Vaccines for Children program which provides low or no cost administration of vaccines to children without insurance or those currently enrolled in a Utah Medicaid or CHIP program. Start the school year off smoothly and avoid last minute surprises and frustration by scheduling vaccination appointments early. We wish all Utah students a successful, rewarding, and healthy school year!