IMMUNIZATIONS PAGE
Immunizations Required for School
Immunizations Required for School and Childcare Attendance
Several immunizations are required before your child may attend school or childcare. Children who are not up-to-date on their immunizations may be required to stay home for an extended period of time (21 days or more) if there is a disease outbreak. Health care clinics get busy during the back-to-school rush. Don’t wait to the last minute to get your child immunized!
- Make an appointment with your healthcare provider today,
- Call our Public Health Clinic at 324-1600, or
The materials below are available for download:
Vaccines Required for School Attendance, Grades K-12 (PDF)
Vaccines Required for Child Care/Preschool Attendance (PDF)
Immunization Exemptions
As a parent or guardian, you may choose to exempt your child from one or more of the immunization requirements for school. However, your child may be at risk for disease. Children with exemptions have contributed to disease outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in Spokane County and put your child and people in the community at risk. The Washington State Administrative Code 246-110 allows a health officer to exclude children from school or childcare during an outbreak of vaccine-preventable disease if the child has not been fully immunized due to a medical, religious, philosophical, or personal exemption. Immunizations are a safe, effective way to prevent disease! Please take the time to carefully consider your options.
Immunization Exemption Law
On May 10, 2011, Governor Gregoire signed a bill that requires a licensed health care provider to sign the Certificate of Exemption for a parent or guardian to exempt their child from school and child care immunization requirements. The signature verifies that the provider gave the parent or guardian information about the benefits and risks of immunization. A parent or guardian can also turn in a signed letter from a health care provider stating the same information. The law goes into effect on July 22, 2011. It only applies to exemptions requested after this date. A health care provider doesn't need to sign the form for parents or guardians who demonstrate membership in a church or religious group that does not allow a health care provider to provide medical treatment to a child.
Washington State Department of Health - Frequently Asked Questions
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