Immunizations

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School Children Immunizations School Immunization Requirements PA State Law and Regulation School Immunization Regulation Procedure Manual New School Immunization Regulations - Effective August 1, 2011 School Immunizations; Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases Attention Parent/Guardian Letter School Requirements For current School Age Child Vaccine Schedule click here. *2011 - 2012 School Immunization Law Report* 2011 - 2012 Introduction Letter 2011 - 2012 School Immunization Law Report 2011 - 2012 School Immunization Law Report (click to submit this year's report) Frequently Asked Questions Children in ALL grades (K-12) need the following vaccines: Download Rack Card Proof of immunization means a written record showing the dates (month, day, year) your child was immunized. The only exceptions to the school laws for immunization are medical reasons and religious beliefs. If your child is exempt from immunizations, your child may be removed from school during a disease outbreak. Keep a record of your child’s immunizations. Keep this record in a safe place. Your doctor’s office, medical clinic, or hospital may ask for this record. As your children become adults, they may need the record for college, for their job or if they travel out of the country. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pre-Teen and Adolescent Web Site

School Immunization Catch-Up (SICU) Program
(717) 787-5681

Provides Hepatitis B, MCV4, Tdap and Varicella vaccines for students who are unable to obtain these vaccines through their medical homes.
School districts plan, develop and implement programs with consultation from their local Health Department.
Protocols for planning and implementing a SICU program are available at the Department of Health, Division of Immunizations.
Vaccine is provided at no cost to school districts by the Department of Health.
Education about the project must be provided to the parent/guardian and health care providers.
Vaccine Information Statements (VIS) must be provided to the student's parent or guardian at the time (or prior to) of administration of each dose of a vaccine.
Click here to access the most recent VIS.
Students provided any vaccine must be screened for their eligibility for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) according to the federal funding requirement.
Vaccines are given according to the schedules as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
School districts must submit appropriate reports according to the project protocols to the Department of Health, Division of Immunizations at the beginning and the conclusion of the project.

STEPS TO IMPLEMENTING A SCHOOL IMMUNIZATION CATCH-UP (SICU)

PROGRAM FOR YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT

1. All Pennsylvania school districts will be eligible to apply to the Department of Health, Division of Immunizations, for the SICU Program. The approval for the individual school district's application may be contingent upon the availability of immunization funds for the fiscal year.

2. To initiate a SICU Program, the coordinator for each school district must have an authorization from the school superintendent, school principal and any other appropriate parties.

3. The school district program coordinator must complete and return the Vaccines for Children Eligibility Reporting Form and Vaccine Ordering Form to the Division of Immunizations.

4. Hepatitis B, Meningococcal Conjugate (MCV4), Tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis (Tdap) and/or Varicella information should be given to the parents and children that will be participating in the program before any immunizations are administered.

5. A letter should be sent to the parent/guardian indicating the catch-up vaccine(s) the student appears to need. Click on the following to access a sample letter.

6. All schools participating must have appropriate vaccine storage and handling capabilities before any vaccine will be shipped. (Click here for the recommendations for vaccine storage and handling)

7. The appropriate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vaccine Information.
Statements (VIS) must be given to each student's legal guardian before administering each dose of the vaccine.

8. A child may receive the Hepatitis B, MCV4, Tdap, and/or Varicella vaccine only after a signed consent has been returned to the program coordinator. This signed consent is to be kept in the student's medical record.

9. The Vaccines For Children (VFC) Program requires that five specific screening questions be completed for each child. The questions are found on the Hepatitis B, MCV4, Tdap, and Varicella Permission/Refusal forms.

10. Hepatitis B, MCV4, Tdap and Varicella vaccines must be administered per the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) recommendations for scheduling the series. All four vaccines could be given at the same time, but in different injection sites.

11. Upon completion of the SICU Program, the Final Results Form should be submitted to the Division of Immunizations by the date indicated. If you have any further questions or need additional information, please contact your local District Immunization Consultant or Division of School Health Consultant.