Immunizations
School Vaccine Letter 2025 English - Georgia Department of Public Health
One of the most effective ways we can ensure the safety and well-being of all our students, faculty, and staff is through vaccination against preventable diseases. State law requires certain vaccinations for students at various stages throughout their school years. Children can be denied school entry if not up to date on required vaccines, so please don’t delay scheduling an appointment for your child as they approach each of the following vaccination milestones.
Georgia law requires proof of the following vaccinations (or proof of a medical or religious exemption) for school attendance:
- Children entering pre-K or Kindergarten must be up to date on required early childhood vaccinations including diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis A & B, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chicken pox). A vision, hearing, dental, and nutrition screening is also required for all children entering a Georgia school for the first time, regardless of age.
- Children entering 7th grade around the age of 11 or 12 must receive a dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine and one dose of meningococcal (meningitis) vaccine.
- Children entering 11th grade that are 16 or older are required to have a meningococcal (meningitis) booster vaccine.
Other age-appropriate vaccines recommended by the CDC are HPV vaccine which prevents certain cancers, meningococcal B vaccine, COVID vaccines, and an annual flu shot; however, these vaccinations are not required for school attendance.
Vaccinations and screenings are available at your local county health department as well as local doctor’s offices.
If you have any questions about vaccines, please contact the Coastal Health District Immunization Program at 912-262-2346. Thanks for all you do to create a safer, healthier school environment for our students, faculty, and staff.
For a printable version of this letter in English, [Click Here].
For a printable version of this letter in Spanish, [Click Here].
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Immunization Update for Students 16 years of age and older
Effective July 1, 2021, children 16 years of age and older, who are entering the 11th grade (including new entrants), must have received one booster dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4), unless their initial dose was administered on or after their 16th birthday.
Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial illness that affects the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis can cause shock, coma and death within hours of the first symptoms. If your teen has not been vaccinated against meningococcal disease, we strongly recommend getting your 11th grader, aged 16 years or older, vaccinated before starting the 2021-2022 school year. Getting MCV4 (meningococcal conjugate vaccine) now will not only help protect your child against the ongoing threat of meningitis, it will also meet the new school entry requirement.
Ask your pediatrician or local health department about other shots your child may need including:
- the human papillomavirus (HPV) series
- the tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis shot (Tdap or Td booster) an annual flu vaccine; and
- catch-up immunizations, including chickenpox, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and hepatitis B.
If your child does not have health insurance or their health plan won’t cover these vaccines, call your local health department and ask about getting no cost or low cost vaccines. For more information, visit http://dph.georgia.gov/vaccines-children or call (800) 848-3868.
Immunization Information for 6th & 7th Grade
Seventh graders are required to have the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) and meningococcal (meningitis) vaccines prior to entering school. Children born on or after January 1, 2002 who are attending seventh grade and new entrants into Georgia schools in grades 8 through 12 must have received one dose of Tdap vaccine and one dose of meningococcal vaccine. (“New entrant” means any child entering any school in Georgia for the first time or entering after having been absent from a Georgia school for more than 12 months or one school year).
It is also recommended that all 11 and 12 year olds get the three-dose series of HPV vaccine to protect against Human Papillomavirus. The HPV vaccine can protect both males and females against some diseases including certain kinds of cancers. All children are eligible to participate regardless of insurance status.
The Effingham County Health Department may ask for insurance information and a copy of your insurance card because it may be possible to bill your insurance for a small administration fee to help support school-based vaccination clinics this year and in the future. If your insurance does not agree to pay the fee or you don’t have insurance you will not be billed by us or your insurance.
- A summary of Georgia immunization requirements for child care and school attendance can be found by going to https://coastalhealthdistrict.org/ and clicking on the Immunizations and Vaccinations link under the Quick Links menu.
For more information on vaccines, go to https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/. Parents with any questions regarding whether or not their children are up-to-date on vaccinations can call the Effingham County Health Department at 912-754-6484.
Waivers
- Religious Waivers - Must Be Notarized
- [Click Here] to print and fill out the Religious Waver (note that this form does not expire).
- Medical Waivers - must be marked on Form 3231 from your medical provider. Also, must be updated annually.
Important Links
*Visit the CDC website to learn more about well child visits and immunizations.
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