Health Services

Vermont’s Immunization Rule requires vaccination of all children enrolled in center based or family child care, public or independent kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools. Immunizations protect both individuals and the community.

An official immunization record must be presented to the school upon admission.

If a student doesn’t meet the vaccine requirements, or have a current school year exemption on file, they may be temporarily admitted only after the approval of school nurse or administrator. Failure to meet requirements may result in exclusion.

Students entering 7th grade must provide documentation of the following: • 5 doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine • 4 doses of polio vaccine • 2 doses of MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine • 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine • 2 doses of chickenpox (varicella) vaccine. If the student has previously had chickenpox disease no vaccine or exemption is needed.

Parents must submit documentation or sign the Health Department form Students entering the seventh grade must provide documentation of the following: • All of the immunizations listed above and • One dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine • For residential students, one or two (age appropriate) doses of meningococcal vaccine These requirements also apply to students in any grade entering a new school from outside of their previous supervisory union. During the 2015 legislative session, the following changes were made to Vermont’s Immunization Rule: • The philosophic exemption to vaccination requirements was eliminated, effective 7/1/2016. • If a parent or guardian holds religious beliefs opposed to immunizations, each year she/he must sign the current school year religious exemption form. Signing acknowledges that she/he has read evidencebased information regarding immunizations provided by the Health Department, and is aware of the risks associated with not vaccinating children. • In order to claim a medical exemption, a health care practitioner authorized to prescribe vaccines must complete the Health Department supplied medical exemption form. Exemption forms must be completed, signed and returned to the school upon enrollment each school year. Students with any exemption may be excluded from school during the course of a disease outbreak.

Click here for more information from the Center for Disease Control!