School Age Vaccine Requirements

Vaccines: School Requirements
Are your children’s immunizations up-to-date? This is especially important during back-to-school time.  The State of Ohio has mandated certain vaccinations as a requirement for school attendance.

Ohio Department of Health vaccination requirements for all K-12 students are listed on the ODH Website.

For children entering seventh grade- the State requires one dose of Tdap – a booster for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis and one dose of meningococcal vaccine must be administered prior to entry.

For those entering 12th grade- two doses of meningococcal vaccine must be administered prior to entry, unless the first dose was given after the 16th birthday.

Please schedule an appointment with your child’s primary care provider to receive these vaccinations prior to the beginning of the school year.  If your child does not have health insurance; if their health insurance does not cover childhood vaccines; or if your child has Medicaid, you may receive these vaccines at little or no cost to you.  Please call Lawrence County Health Department at (740) 532- 3962 with questions or to schedule an appointment.

For more information on immunization schedules for children and adults, visit:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/child.html


For pre-teen vaccination information, click below:

https://www.cdc.gov/features/preteenvaccines/index.html

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is Tdap?

The Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) vaccine is important to protect adolescents and adults against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, a disease that is highly contagious.

 

What is MCV4? 

The MCV4 (meningococcal serogroups A, C, W and Y) vaccine can prevent 4 types of meningococcal disease including 2 of the 3 most common in the United States. There are other types of meningococcal disease that the MCV4 does not provide protection against.

 

Why should my child receive these vaccines?

Due to the increasing presence of whooping cough, a dose of Tdap vaccine is required by the Ohio Department of Health for students entering the 7th grade. Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease that typically occurs in school age children. Vaccine protection from doses received during infancy diminishes over time, therefore an additional dose is necessary for optimum immunity.

Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial illness that is the leading cause of meningitis in children 2 – 18 years old in the United States. Two doses of MCV4 are required for school attendance in Ohio; the first prior to entering the 7th grade and the 2nd, prior to entering the 12th grade.


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