What Levittown-Area Parents Need To Know About School Vaccine Requirements

Students returning to the classroom in Pennsylvania are to follow state-mandated immunization requirements, according to guidance released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The policy applies to new students and children entering kindergarten, seventh grade, and 12th grade.

Students, according to state health information, must have their required vaccine doses completed or have medically appropriate doses up to date with a documented plan for any remaining doses by the fifth day of school to avoid potential exclusion from the building. For single-dose vaccines, students must receive the shot prior to the first day of attendance or face immediate exclusion.

For kindergarten and general attendance across all grades, the state requires:

• Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis – Four doses (usually administered as DTP, DTaP, DT, or Td), with one dose given on or after the fourth birthday.
• Polio – Four doses, with the fourth dose given on or after the fourth birthday and at least six months following the prior dose. A fourth dose is not required if the third dose was given at age 4 or older and at least six months after the previous shot.
• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) – Two doses.
• Hepatitis B – Three doses.
• Varicella (chickenpox) – Two doses or confirmed evidence of immunity.

Students entering the seventh grade must fulfill all standard grade school immunizations and two additional single-dose requirements due on the first day of class. They are required to have one dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) and one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV).

For students entering 12th grade, state rules require one dose of MCV on the first day of school in addition to standard grade school immunizations.

If a student received an MCV dose at age 16 or older, state guidelines count that shot toward the 12th-grade requirement.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health uses the vaccine timing and spacing recommendations established by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Exemptions to the vaccine requirements are allowed for medical reasons, religious beliefs, or strong moral, ethical, or philosophical convictions. However, state health officials noted that exempt students remain subject to school exclusion in the case of an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease.

In addition to local medical facilities and family practices, the Bucks County Department of Health offers immunizations for school-age who are uninsured, underinsured, or covered by medical assistance.

For more information, visit the county health department website.