Immunization Requirements
The Pennsylvania Public School Code requires all public schools, including charter schools, to determine that a student has been immunized in accordance with state law prior to enrollment in and attendance at school. The school nurse is responsible to review each student’s immunization records to ensure that he or she meets state requirements.
A student whose parent or guardian fails to provide complete and accurate immunization records to the school nurse risks exclusion from school until state immunization requirements are met. Download the Physical and Dental Forms below and see page three for Immunization History.
Students in ALL Grades (K-12) need the following vaccines:
- 4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (usually given as DTP or DTaP or DT or Td) (1 dose on or after the 4th birthday)
- 4 doses of polio (4th dose on or after 4th birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given, but a 4th dose is unnecessary if the 3rd dose was administered at age 4 years or older and at least 6 months after the previous dose)
- 2 doses of measles (usually given as MMR)
- 2 doses of mumps (usually given as MMR)
- 2 doses of rubella (German Measles) (usually given as MMR)
- 3 doses of hepatitis B
- 2 doses of varicella (Chickenpox) or evidence of immunity
Students entering 7th Grade need the following vaccines:
- 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) on the first day of 7th grade
- 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) on the first day of 7th grade
Students entering 12th Grade need the following vaccine:
- 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) on the first day of 12th grade (though if one dose was given at 16 years of age or older, that shall count as the 12th grade dose).
On the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, unless a student has a medical or religious/philosophical exemption, a student must have had at least one dose of the above vaccinations or risk exclusion. If a student does not have all the doses listed above, needs additional doses, and the next dose is medically appropriate, the student must receive that dose within the first five (5) days of school or risk exclusion. If the next dose is not the final dose of the series, the student must also provide a medical plan within the first five days of school for obtaining the required immunizations or risk exclusion. The medical plan must be followed or the student may face exclusion from school.
Acceptable documentation to prove that a student is properly immunized for enrollment or permission to attend a String Theory School includes: his/her immunization record on a Department of Health approved Student Health Form or comparable physician form, a written statement from his/her prior school district or a medical office that the required immunizations have been administered, verbal assurances from the former school district or a medical office that the required immunizations have been completed with records to follow, or the Pennsylvania Department of Health Medical Certificate and Medical Plan (red card), as long as the plan is followed).
In the event that immunization is against a student’s religious beliefs or a parent/guardian has a strong moral or ethical conviction against immunization, the parent/guardian must provide the school nurse with a written statement stating the reason for the objection. If immunization is not medically advisable at a particular time, a physician must sign the “Statement of Exemption to Immunization Law” form.
If a student is exempt from immunization, he or she may be excluded from school during an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease.