Parents: What You Need to Know About Changes to State Immunization Policy for Schools and Child Cares
Washington State approved changes to immunization policy that went into effect in August 2020.
What’s new?
- Medically-verified immunization records are required for schools (and child care centers) to prove immunity.
- A Tdap booster is required for entry into 7th grade.
What are “Medically Verified” Records?
Immunization records now need to be printed from the IIS or MyIR Mobile, or have additional verification.
Medically verified records include one of the following:
- A Certificate of Immunization (CIS) printed from the Washington State Immunization Information System (IIS), MyIR, or another state’s Immunization Information System, and signed by parent/guardian.
- A completed physical copy of the CIS form with a health care provider validation signature, and signed by parent/guardian.
- A physical copy of the CIS signed by parent/guardian with accompanying medical immunization records from a health care provider’s electronic health record with a health care provider signature or stamp and verified and signed by school staff.
Ask your health care provider’s office if they enter immunizations into the WA Immunization Information System. If they do, ask them to upload your child’s immunization records to the system.
How do I learn more about accessing my family’s immunization records online?
To learn more about how to access your family’s immunization information, visit this Washington State Department of Health website. You can also call 833-VAX-HELP, view your family’s immunization information by registering for MyIR Mobile, email [email protected], or call WADOH at 360-236-3595 or 1-866-397-0337.
What is the change to the Tdap requirement?
The requirement for the middle school Tdap dose changed from grades 6-12 to grades 7-12. All students in 7th grade must have received their Tdap dose on or after age 10.
All students entering 7th through 12th grades must have one booster dose of Tdap.
Students in 9th through 12th grades can meet the requirement if they had a dose administered as early as age 7. Students in grades 9 through 12 are grandfathered in because they were vaccinated under the previous immunization guidelines.
What options are available for students who do not meet the requirements?
Children can be granted conditional status into school or child care who are making progress towards completing their immunization requirements. Children may begin school or child care only if they received all the required immunizations they are due to receive and submitted medically verified records on or before the first day of attendance.
If additional immunizations are needed after receiving all immunizations they are eligible to receive before starting school, children may start school or child care in conditional status and remain until the next dose becomes due. Children then have 30 calendar days to turn in updated records showing they received missing doses. If additional doses are due, conditional status continues until all required immunizations are complete. If the 30 days pass without updated records, the child must not attend school or child care.
Are there still exemptions?
The new policy was updated to align with a recent state law change that removed the personal/philosophical exemptions for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The rule also removes the need for parents or guardians to specify their religious membership on the Certificate of Exemption.
Information about the change to state law that removed exemptions for the MMR vaccine is available from the Washington State Department of Health, as well as additional information about exemptions.
Resources and Information
Additional resources, including answers to some frequently asked questions, are available from the Washington Department of Health.