Massachusetts School Immunization Requirements 2005*

	Child Care/Preschool¹	Kindergarten	Grades 1-6	Grades 7-12	College²
Hepatitis B³	3 doses	3 doses	3 doses	3 doses	3 doses for all health science students and all full-time undergraduate and graduate students
DTaP/DTP/ DT/Td⁴	³ 4 doses DTaP /DTP	5 doses DTaP/ DTP	³ 4 doses DTaP/DTP or ³ 3 doses Td	4 doses DTaP/DTP or ³ 3 doses Td; plus 1 Td booster	1 Td booster within last 10 years
Polio⁵	³ 3 doses	4 doses	³ 3 doses	³ 3 doses	N/A
Hib⁶	1 to 4 doses⁶	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
MMR⁷	1 dose	2 doses measles, 1 mumps, 1 rubella	2 doses measles, 1 mumps 1 rubella	2 doses measles, 1 mumps, 1 rubella	2 doses measles, 1 mumps, 1 rubella
Varicella⁸	1 dose	1 dose	1 dose	<13 yrs. – 1 dose ³13 yrs. – 2 doses	N/A
Meningococcal⁹	N/A	N/A	N/A (see footnote⁹)	1 dose for all new students (applies to residential schools only)	1 dose for all new students (applies to colleges that provide housing only)

* These requirements also apply to all new “enterers”. N/A means there is no vaccine requirement for the grades indicated.

¹Child Care/Preschool: Minimum requirements by 24 months; younger children should be immunized according to schedule for their age.

²College: Requirements apply to: 1) all full-time undergraduate and graduate students; 2) all full-time and part-time health science students; and 3) any full-time or part-time student attending any postsecondary institution while on a student or other visa, including foreign students attending or visiting classes as part of a formal academic visitation or exchange program.

³Hepatitis B: 3 doses are required for child care, preschool and kindergarten - 12th grade attendance for children. Beginning in September 2005, 3 dosed are now required for full-time graduate students. 3 doses are also required for all full-time freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors, as well as, all health science students (both full-time and part-time, undergraduate and graduate) attending college. Laboratory proof of immunity is acceptable.

⁴DTaP/DTP/DT/Td: 5 doses of DTaP/DTP are required for school entry unless the fourth dose is given on or after the 4th birthday. DT is only acceptable when accompanied by a letter stating a medical contradiction to DTaP/ DTP. A single booster dose of Td is required for all students entering grades 7-12. (It is not required if it has been < 5 years since their last dose of DTaP/DTP/DT.)

⁵Polio: 4 doses are required for school entry, unless the third dose of an all-PV or all-OPV schedule is given on or after the 4th birthday, in which case only 3 doses are needed. However, if the sequential or a mixed IPV/OPV schedule was used, 4 doses are always required to complete the primary series.

⁶Hib: The number of primary doses is determined by vaccine product and age the series begins.

⁷MMR: 1 dose is required for entry into child care and preschool. A second dose of measles vaccine, given at least 4 weeks after the first, is required for entry to all grades K-12, and college. Laboratory proof of immunity is acceptable.

⁸ Varicella: 1 dose is required for child care attendance at centers licensed by the Office of Child Care Services (OCCS) for all children born on or after January 1, 1997, and who are ³ 19 months of age, and who are without a physician-certified reliable history of chickenpox. 1 dose is also required for all susceptible students at entry to preschool and kindergarten - 12th grade. If the child is ³ 13 years of age, 2 doses are required.

A reliable history of chickenpox is defined as: 1) physician interpretation of parent/guardian description of chickenpox; 2) physician diagnosis of chickenpox; or 3) laboratory proof of immunity.

⁹Meningococcal: Beginning in August 2005, meningococcal immunization is required for: 1) all new students at public and private residential schools with grades 9-12 (in the case of ungraded classrooms, those with students 13 years or older); and 2) all new, full- and part-time, undergraduate and graduate students in degree-granting programs at postsecondary schools (e.g., colleges) that provide or license housing. These institutions are also required to supply all new students or their parent/legal guardian with the MDPH developed Meningococcal Information and Waiver Form.

All new students at the affected institutions must: 1) receive information about meningococcal disease and vaccine; and 2) provide documentation of receipt of 1 dose of meningococcal vaccine within the last 5 years.

As an alternative, new students or their parent/legal guardian may sign the Meningococcal Information and Waiver Form developed by MDPH to indicate that they have read and understood the required information related to the risks of meningococcal disease, and have elected to decline the vaccine.

At all affected institutions, these requirements apply to all new students regardless of grade, year of study and whether or not they reside in school or campus-related housing. Please note at residential schools, the requirements apply to students in lower grades (pre-K through 8) if the school combines these grades in the same school or part of a school with students in grades 9-12.