Skip To Main Content

Immunization Guidelines and Communicable Diseases

School Health: Mandated by Pennsylvania Law
Pennsylvania Public School Code Article 14 

Immunizations:

The following regulations have been established by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to promote the health of our students.

All students entering school for the first time must be fully immunized as a condition of school attendance.  The following immunizations are required:

  • Diphtheria and Tetanus - Four or more properly spaced doses of DTP, DTaP, Td or DT, or any combination of the three with 1 dose administered on or after the fourth birthday.

  • Polio – Four or more properly spaced doses of polio vaccine with 1 dose administered on or after the fourth birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given*.  (Inactivated Polio Vaccine or Oral Polio Vaccine)

  • Measles (Rubeola), Mumps, and Rubella (German Measles) – Two properly spaced doses with the first dose administered at 12 months of age or older.

  • Hepatitis B – Three properly spaced doses of hepatitis B vaccine.  (Currently the medical recommendation is that the second dose of hepatitis B vaccine be separated by at least one month after the first dose and the third dose is separated by at least 4 months after the first dose and at least 2 months after the second dose. The 3rd dose must be given after 24 weeks of age.)

  • Varicella – Two doses of live attenuated varicella vaccine administered at 12 months of age or older, or chickenpox immunity proved by laboratory testing, or a written statement of history of chickenpox disease from a parent, guardian or physician.

Students entering 7th grade need the following:

  • One dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap)

    • (If 5 years has elapsed since last tetanus immunization)

  • One dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV)

Students entering 12th grade need the following:

  • Second dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV) at age 16 or older

Exemptions:

 The only exemption to the school laws for immunizations is:

  • medical reasons

  • religious beliefs

If your child is exempt from immunizations, he or she may be removed from school during an outbreak.

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

Learn more about other immunizations that are recommended for your child here:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/

 

Immunization Requirements (English)

Immunization Requirements (Spanish)

SSD Immunization/Communicable Diseases Policy

PA Code: Communicable Diseases