As students prepare to head back to school this month, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH), within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), reminds parents and caregivers to make sure children and teens are up-to-date on their vaccines. The Commonwealth’s vaccine requirements for school entry, which is modeled after Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), include new requirements for Hepatitis A and Meningococcal vaccines.
“We encourage parents to contact their medical provider to review their child’s immunization status to help ensure a smooth back-to-school transition for the upcoming year,” said DPH Commissioner Dr. Jeffrey D. Howard.”
Effective July 1, 2018, all school-aged children in kindergarten through 12th grade must show proof of having received two doses of the Hepatitis A vaccine to attend school. A minimum interval of 6 months between the first and second doses of the Hep A vaccine is required. If the child has not yet received the second dose of the Hep A vaccine for this school year, the child’s Certificate of Immunization Status will be considered “provisional” and will expire 14 days from the date the second dose is required.
Students aged 16 years or older must also show proof of having received two doses of Meningococcal ACWY vaccine (MenACWY). However, it is important to note that if the first dose of MenACWY was received at age sixteen (16) years or older, the second dose is not required for school entry. For children 16 and older, the Certificate of Immunization Status must show the dates the child received two doses of Hep A vaccine as well as the MenACWY vaccine.
The Hepatitis A and MenACWY vaccines are available through local healthcare providers, and covered as a no-cost preventive service by most health insurance plans. If your child does not have insurance, please contact your local health department for assistance.
Ben Keeton
Publisher at Medical News
Ben is the publisher of Medical News and focuses on the business of healthcare in Kentucky.