DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 159
August 3, 2007
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K.
Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Immunization
Requirements for School Enrollment |
Certain
prescribed immunizations are required for a child to enroll or attend public
school in Virginia as outlined in School
& Day Care Minimum Immunization Requirements, Virginia Department of
Health http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/immunization/requirements.htm.
Parents are responsible for providing documentation
that all required immunizations are up-to-date, completed, or a medical or
religious exemption has been obtained. These include the required doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), polio, hepatitis B, MMR (measles, mumps,
rubella) and varicella.
A
child whose immunizations are incomplete may be admitted conditionally,
provided the parent or guardian has documentation at the time of enrollment
indicating that the child has received at least one dose of the required
immunizations and has a written schedule for completing the remaining doses
within 90 calendar days of the opening of school. The 90-day grace period does
not apply to the Tdap booster as outlined below. (Code of
Since
the start of the 2006-2007 school year, a booster dose
of pertussis-containing vaccine (Tdap) has been
required for students entering the sixth grade unless the student has had a
tetanus-containing vaccine within the last five years or has a medical or
religious exemption. There is no grace
period for compliance with this requirement.
Should
you have further questions, please contact Tia Campbell, school health
specialist, at 804-786-8671 or Tia.Campbell@doe.virginia.gov.
BKCJr/tbc