Immunizations

The Illinois State Board of Education School Code and Child Health Examination Code (77 Ill Adm. Code 665) requires specific immunizations for a child to attend public school. More information is outlined in the Fall 2014 letter from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Vaccination Requirements
 

Any child two years or older entering school (Pre-kindergarten, Early Intervention, Kindergarten through 12^th grade), must show proof of having received four or more doses of DTaP vaccine.  The first three doses must be at least four weeks (28 days) apart.  The third and fourth dose must be at least six months apart.  A fifth booster dose is required on or after the child’s 4th birthday.

The fifth dose is not necessary if the fourth dose was given after the child’s fourth birthday.  The fourth dose, only in this case, is considered the booster dose.
 

Students entering the 6^th grade must show proof of having received one dose of Tdap, regardless of the interval since the last diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis dose.  The recommended age for receiving the Tdap vaccine is 11-years-old.
 

Any child two years or older entering school program (Pre-kindergarten, Early Intervention, or Kindergarten through 12^th grade), must show proof of having received three doses of either IPV or OPV or a combination.  The fourth dose (booster) must be administered on or after the fourth birthday.   The first three doses must be at least four weeks (28 days) apart.  The third and fourth dose must be at least six months apart.

The fourth dose is not necessary if the third dose was given after the child’s 4^th birthday.  The third dose, only in this case, is considered the booster dose.
 

Children entering Pre-kindergarten must show proof of having received one dose of live measles vaccine. Children entering Kindergarten and above must show proof of two doses of live measles vaccine.  The first must have been given at or after one year of age, usually as part of the MMR, and the second, no less than a month later. Proof of disease, verified by a doctor, is acceptable in place of immunization.
 

Any child two years or older entering a school program (Pre-kindergarten, Early Intervention, or Kindergarten through 12^th grade), must show proof of having received two doses of live rubella virus vaccine.   The first dose must be completed on or after the first birthday and the second dose no less than four weeks (28 days) after the first dose, or proof of immunity. The second dose is usually given as part of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine between 4 through 6 years old.  The proof of vaccination must include day, month, year to determine the minimal interval between vaccinations has been met.

If vaccination cannot be verified, the only other acceptable proof of rubella immunity is evidence through a specific rubella antibody blood test.  This test must be completed in a laboratory that regularly performs antibody testing.

Reported history of disease is not an acceptable proof of immunity.
 

Any child two years or older entering a school program (Pre-kindergarten, Early Intervention, or Kindergarten through 12^th grade) must show proof of having received two doses of live mumps virus vaccine.  The first dose must be completed on or after the first birthday and the second dose no less than four weeks (28 days) after the first dose.  The second dose is usually given as part of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine between 4 through 6 years old.

If vaccination cannot be verified, other acceptable proofs of mumps immunity include: 1) the proof of the date of the illness signed and verified by a physician or 2) a specific mumps antibody blood test completed in a laboratory.

Varicella (Chicken Pox) Vaccine

Any child two years or older entering a school program (Pre-kindergarten, Early Intervention, or Kindergarten through 12^th grade) must show proof of having received three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine.  The first two doses must have been completed no less than four weeks (28 days) apart.  The interval between the second and third dose must have be at least eight weeks (56 days) apart. The interval between the first and the third dose must be at least four months (112 days) apart.

A previous or current hepatitis B infection may be substituted for the vaccine series. Proof of the infection must be verified by specific positive hepatitis B blood tests completed in a laboratory.

All children entering 6^th grade must provide proof of a completed hepatitis B series, or proof of immunity.
 

All children entering pre-kindergarten or early intervention program must show proof of having received one dose of HIB vaccination, given on or after 15 months of age. The HIB is not required for children in grades K-12.
 

This test is done at the physician’s discretion.
Additional information is available from the State of Illinois’ Child Health Examination Code.
For a listing of locations where immunizations are given, visit the Local Clinics page.

Facts about Additional Vaccines

Facts About Influenza and the Influenza Vaccine (IDPH)

Facts About Meningococcal Disease and the Meningococcal Vaccination  (IDPH)