Immunizations

2024 Immunization Sites in Lancaster County

Pennsylvania School Immunization Requirements

***Important: Your child must have one of each of the below immunizations or your child cannot start school***

Children in Kindergarten through 12th Grade need the following vaccines, effective August 1, 2017:

  • 4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria and acelluar pertussis*

    • 1 dose on or after the 4th birthday

  • 4 doses of polio*

    • 4th dose on of after the 4th birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given**

  • 2 doses of measles, mumps, and rubella***

  • 3 doses of hepatitis B

  • 2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine or evidence of immunity

*Usually given as DTP or DTaP or if medically advisable, DT or Td

**A fourth does is not necessary if the third dose was administered at age 4 years or older and at least 6 months after the previous dose

***Usually given at MMR

A child must have at least one dose of each vaccine completed on the first day of school or risk exclusion.

If a child does not have all the dose listed above, the child must receive the next dose within the first five days of school or risk exclusion.  If the series of vaccines cannot be completed within the first five days of school, a medical plan must be completed and returned within the first five days of school or risk exclusion.

For attendance in Grade 7

  • 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) on first day of 7th grade

  • 1 does of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) on the first day

A child must have the above vaccines completed on the first day of grade 7 or risk exclusion

For attendance in Grade 12

  • 1 additional dose of MCV on the first day of 12th grade.  If one dose was given at 16 years or older, that dose shall count as the 12th grade dose.

A child must have the above vaccines completed on the first day of Grade 12 or risk exclusion

These requirements allow for medical, religious beliefs, or philosophical/strong moral or ethrical conviction.

If you child is exempt from immunizations, he/she may be excluded from school during an outbreak of a vaccine preventable disease..

Pennsylvania school immunization requirements can be found in 28 PA. CODE CH 23 (School immunizations)

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