FAQs About Specific Vaccines
Table of Contents
Hepatitis A
Students in grades kindergarten through 11th grade are required to have two doses of Hepatitis A with the first dose received on or after the first birthday. To enroll in K-11, the child should already have 2 doses.
However, if the student has 1 dose at time of enrollment in K-11, the child may be provisionally enrolled IF the first dose of hepatitis A was received in the last 6 months. At this time, we would follow CDC’s catch-up recommendation for hepatitis A vaccine. When catching up, the minimal interval between the two hepatitis A doses is 6 months.
Once provisionally enrolled, the child must receive the 2nd dose as rapidly as medically feasible, which in this case is 6 months after the first dose. If more than 6 months have lapsed since the child received the first dose of hepatitis A, the child should not be enrolled (provisionally or otherwise) until the 2nd dose is received.
As for childcare, an 18-month window between dose 1 and 2 is built in with the first dose being required by 25 months and the 2nd dose by 43 months.
Meningococcal
Q: Most of my students' records only say "Meningococcal" or "Meningitis," not "MCV4." Are these students considered compliant?
A: Students showing proof of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine for the first time (i.e., new 7th grade students and out-of-state transfer students), must have an immunization record that clearly indicates one of the following: MCV4, MenACWY, Menveo, Menactra, or MenQuadfi. Students that have previously submitted proof of meningococcal vaccination may be considered compliant if the dose of meningococcal vaccine was administered on or after the 11th birthday.
Q: I have several 6th graders that will turn 11 years old this year. Will the meningococcal requirement apply to them as soon as they turn 11?
A: No. The meningococcal vaccine requirement applies only to students entering grades 7 - 12, not students aged 11 or older entering other grades. For students enrolling in grades 7 - 12, one dose of MCV4 must be received on or after the 11th birthday.
Q: I have an incoming 7th grade student that will still be 10 years old when school starts. Is this student required to have one dose of MCV4 upon enrollment?
A: No, the dose of MCV4 will become due when the student is recommended to receive the vaccine (i.e., on or after the 11th birthday). For reporting purposes, the student should be considered provisionally enrolled until the student turns 11.
Q: A student received the adolescent dose of MCV4 at 9 years of age. Is the student in compliance?
A: Doses administered prior to the 10th birthday will not satisfy this requirement.
Q: A student has only received Meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine. Will this satisfy the requirements?
A: No, students must receive one dose quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate (MCV4) vaccine on or after the 11th birthday to be considered compliant.
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
Some of my older students received two doses of measles and one dose each of mumps and rubella, which satisfied the old school entry requirements. Will these students need to receive additional doses of MMR?
Students that were vaccinated prior to 2009 with two doses of measles and one dose each of mumps and rubella should be considered compliant. All other students must show proof of two doses of MMR vaccine.
Polio
Q: What are the polio vaccine requirements for students in Texas schools?
A: As outlined in §97.63 of the Texas Administrative Code, students in kindergarten through 12th grade are required to have four doses of polio vaccine - one of which must have been received on or after the fourth birthday. Or, if the third dose was administered on or after the fourth birthday, only three doses are required. Any combination of oral polio vaccine (OPV) & inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) doses is acceptable, provided age requirements and total number of doses are met.
Q: Is polio vaccine required for persons enrolled in school once they turn 18?
A: No, polio vaccine is not required for persons 18 years of age or older.
Q: A student received a combination of oral polio vaccine (OPV) and inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV). Can this student be enrolled?
A: Yes, the student can enroll as long as they received the required number of doses outlined in §97.63 of the Texas Administrative Code.
Q: A student received oral polio vaccine (OPV) in another country. What are the school entry requirements for students who received only OPV?
A: The requirements are the same for students who received an all IPV series and for those who received an all OPV series: four doses are required, provided one dose was received on or after the fourth birthday. However, three doses meet the requirement if the third dose was received on or after the fourth birthday.