Immunization

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

  • State laws and rules require compliance with immunization requirements for ALL students on or before the first day of attendance at school. The purpose of the state immunization requirement is to protect the health of the public and individuals against certain vaccine-preventable diseases. Our schools will work with families to ensure compliance with immunization requirements in state law no matter the student’s learning location. This means if a child participates in a school program, regardless of their location, including online or remote learning, they must meet school immunization requirements per RCW 28A.210.080.  Please feel free to contact your building school nurse with any questions or concerns. 

     

    MEDICALLY VERIFIED RECORDS
    On August 1, 2020, a revised rule requires medically verified immunization records for school. Medically verified record includes one or more of the following:

    • A completed Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) signed by a health care provider. Find the CIS form by visiting https://www.doh.wa.gov/SCCI and clicking on “Certificate of Immunization Status.”

    • A CIS filled out by you or another parent/guardian with medical records attached.

    • A CIS printed by students' established health care provider or school from the Washington State Immunization Information System.

    • A CIS printed from MyIR which is a free Department of Health online tool that allows families to view and print their official immunization records themselves. Go to https://wa.myir.net/register to begin the sign-up process.

    CONDITIONAL STATUS

    If additional immunizations are needed after receiving all immunizations they are eligible to receive before starting school, children may start school in conditional status and remain until the next dose becomes due. Children will then have 30 calendar days to turn in updated records showing they received the missing dose. If additional doses are due, conditional status continues until all required immunizations are complete. If the 30 days expire without updated records, the child must be excluded from further attendance.

    CHANGE TO TETANUS, DIPHTHERIA, AND PERTUSSIS (TDAP) VACCINE REQUIREMENT FOR GRADES 7-12

    All students entering 7th through 12th grades must have one booster dose of Tdap vaccine. 

    VACCINATIONS REQUIRED BY WASHINGTON STATE LAW FOR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
    Washington state law requires school-age children to receive specific immunizations in order to attend school. BISD works with the Washington State Department of Health to comply with state laws on required vaccinations. https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/2022-2023%20Parent%20School%20Chart.pdf?uid=62d962a0bbada

    CERTIFICATE OF EXEMPTION (COE) FORMS
    If you are requesting an exemption from one or more of the immunization requirements, you must provide the school a completed certificate of exemption (COE) form on file in the school office. Parents/guardians must complete the form and turn it into the school before the student can start school. 

    Please note: in May 2019, Governor Inslee signed House Bill 1638, which removes the personal and philosophical option to exempt children from the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine required for school and child care attendance. Learn more about the new requirements here: https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/Schools/Immunization/ExemptionLawChange

    Who Is Affected?
    This law will only affect those students who have a personal or philosophical exemption to the MMR vaccine. Students with medical or religious exemptions are not affected by the new law.

    What Is the Requirement?
    One dose of MMR is required for all children age 1 year and older in child care or preschool. Two doses of MMR vaccine are required for all students in kindergarten through 12th grade. A minimum of 28 days must separate the two doses of MMR vaccine, which means someone needing both MMR doses will need one dose given as soon as possible, followed by another appointment scheduled a month from the first MMR dose. Children catching up with the MMR immunization schedule are considered to be in conditional status until 30 days after the second dose of the MMR vaccine comes due.

    What Do I Need To Do?

    1. All parents with personal or philosophical exemptions for MMR vaccine for their child should be notified they are required to provide the dates of MMR vaccination by the time the school year starts.

    2. Per state law, any student not in compliance with immunization requirements should be excluded from school attendance, until they can show satisfactory progress towards immunization requirements.

    For more information: Washington State Department of Health has more information about required vaccinations. To read the state law, click here: https://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=28A.210.080

    Updated August 2022