Immunization Information For Schools And Child Care Workers

Students and child care workers are required to be vaccinated against certain diseases in Rhode Island. These requirements are based on recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics , and healthcare professionals in Rhode Island.

Learn more about vaccine preventable diseases.

Sharing Data with KIDSNET

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows the release of immunization data from schools only with signed consent. A parent, a guardian, or a student age 18 or older must fill out this consent form before their immunization data can be shared with KIDSNET.

Required Immunizations for Students

Immunization requirements for students entering licensed DHS center-based and in-home childcare facilities

4 doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccine
1 dose of Flu vaccine each year
2 doses of Hepatitis A vaccine
3 doses of Hepatitis B vaccine
3 doses of Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccine
1 dose of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine
4 doses of Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine (not routinely given to healthy children 5 years of age and older)
3 doses of Polio vaccine
2 doses of Rotavirus vaccine
1 dose of Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine

Requirements for students entering Kindergarten

5 doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccine
3 doses of Hepatitis B vaccine
2 doses of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine
4 doses of Polio vaccine
2 doses of Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine

Requirements for students entering grade 7

A student entering grade 7 must meet the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten immunization requirements plus:

1 dose of HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine
1 dose of Meningococcal Conjugate (MCV4) vaccine
1 dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine

Requirements for students entering grade 8

A student entering grade 8 must have met the grade 7 immunization requirements plus:

2 doses of HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine

Requirements for students entering grade 9

A student entering grade 9 must have met the grade 8 immunization requirements plus:

3 doses of HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine
Note: Per current ACIP recommendations, only 2 doses of HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine are required if series is started at age 14 or younger

Requirement for students entering grade 12

A student entering grade 12 must have met the grade 9 immunization requirements plus:

1 dose of Meningococcal Conjugate (MCV4) vaccine – as a booster dose

Required Immunizations for Child Care Workers

1 dose of Flu vaccine every year
2 doses of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine
1 dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine
2 doses of Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine

Exemptions

Students and children in childcare (day care) and pre-kindergarten facilities can be exempted from required immunizations for religious, medical, or temporary reasons. A medical exemption certificate must be signed by a healthcare professional.

Child care workers can be exempted from required immunizations for medical reasons. A medical exemption certificate must be signed by a healthcare professional.

Medical exemption (child care workers)

Other Ways to Meet Immunization Requirements

Students and child care workers do not need to get the immunizations listed above if they have already gotten them. This can be demonstrated with an immunization record, a medical passport, or any other official record that shows the month, day, and year of the vaccinations.
Students and child care workers do not need to get the immunizations listed above if they cannot get them for medical reasons. A healthcare professional can provide paperwork stating that someone cannot be vaccinated against a particular disease for medical reasons.
Child care workers do not need to get varicella (chickenpox) vaccine if they had varicella (chickenpox or shingles) in the past. they can prove this with a signed statement from a licensed healthcare professional acting within their scope of practice, such as a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner.
If a child care worker is already immune to a disease, vaccination against that disease is not required. Immunity must be demonstrated with laboratory evidence (also called a titer).
Child care workers born before 1957 are not required to get MMR vaccine.
Child care workers born before 1980 are not required to get varicella (chickenpox) vaccine.

HPV Vaccination

Rhode Island has a 3-dose HPV immunization requirement. Based on current ACIP recommendations, adolescents age 9-14 need 2 doses of HPV vaccine for series completion, and adolescents age 15-26 need 3 doses for series completion.

No student should be excluded from school if they are not vaccinated against HPV.

For kids in grade 9 who start the series before age 15, school nurses will only need to assess for 2 doses of vaccine rather than 3 doses.