Immunization Requirements for 4k-6th grade
Wisconsin has updated its immunization requirements for child care and school entry. These changes will go into effect for child care centers immediately, however the first child care assessment using this criteria will be done in spring 2025. The changed will go into effect for school-age children at the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
These updates will help Wisconsin students, educators, and staff stay safer, healthier, and in school by bringing Wisconsin closer to the current nationwide vaccine recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a group of medical and public health experts who develop recommendations on the use of vaccines in the United States. When children are healthy and can stay in school, they have more opportunity to thrive.
(https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/immunization/reqs.htm)
Changes include:
Adding meningococcal (MenACWY-containing) vaccine to the requirements for students entering seventh grade, and a booster dose for eligible students entering 12th grade.
Parent report of chickenpox disease is no longer acceptable for exemption from the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine requirement. Children must have a diagnosis of chickenpox from a qualified health care provider (M.D., D.O., N.P., or P.A.) to be exempt from this requirement, however existing exemption options still apply.
Updating the definitions of “substantial outbreak” for both child care centers and schools by revising to align with CDC definitions and to add chickenpox and meningococcal disease to the definitions.
What has not changed?
The updated requirements leave in place the already established list of required vaccinations.
In addition, the existing exemption options for medical, religious, or personal conviction reasons are still available.
There is no requirement for seasonal flu vaccination or COVID-19 vaccination. These remain strongly recommended by leading health experts, including DHS, CDC, AAP, ACOG, AAFP, and others.
Changes implemented in 2023, including:
Changing the grade at which the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine) is required to the start of seventh grade. Previously this vaccine was required at the start of sixth grade. This change is to better align with the recommended age (age 11) at which children should receive the vaccine.
Requiring schools to provide reports of vaccine compliance and disease outbreaks to DHS in addition to the previously existing requirement to report to local health departments.