immunization branch

Regulations (2019 Changes)

Pre-kindergarten (Child Care) and School Immunization Requirements

Webinar: 2019 Changes to Immunization Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the new regulations go into effect?
What are the immunization dose requirements for school (TK/K–12)?
What’s different about the new immunization dose requirements for school (TK/K–12)?
What’s the same about the new immunization dose requirements for school (TK/K–12)?
What’s the varicella requirement for students entering 7th grade after June 30, 2025?
What’s different about the new immunization requirements for pre-kindergarten (child care or preschool)?
Where can I find the immunization regulations?
Do students admitted in previous school years have to meet the new requirements in the 2019–2020 school year and beyond?
Do the new regulations affect the availability of personal beliefs exemptions (PBEs) in California?
For students admitted to school prior to the 2019–2020 school year, do schools need to transfer information from students’ existing Blue Cards to the new Blue Card?

When did the new regulations go into effect?
July 1, 2019.

What are the immunization dose requirements for school (TK/K–12)?

Grade	Number of Doses Required of Each Immunization
K-12 Admission	4 Polio, 5 DTaP, 3 Hep B, 2 MMR, 2 Varicella
(7th-12th)	1 Tdap
7th Grade Advancement	1 Tdap, 2 Varicella

Complete details in 17 CCR section 6025, Table B (PDF).

What’s different about the new immunization dose requirements for school (TK/K–12)?

Starting in the 2019–2020 school year, school immunization requirements now include:

2 (rather than 1) doses of chickenpox vaccine at

♦ TK/Kindergarten entry
♦ 7th grade advancement (expiring June 30, 2025)
♦ TK/K–12 admission or transfer
2 MMR doses and 3 Hepatitis B vaccine doses at admission or transfer for most K–12 students.

As these requirements reflect longstanding national recommendations, many children have already met these requirements.

TK/K Admission —

Vaccine	Doses required (Starting July 1, 2019)	Doses required (Before July 1, 2019)
Varicella	2	1
MMR	2*	same**
Hep B	3	same
Polio	4	same
DTaP	5	same

* New requirements also met by 2 doses measles, 2 doses mumps, and 1 dose rubella vaccine.
** Prior requirements also met by 2 doses measles, 1 dose mumps, and 1 dose rubella vaccine.

1st-12th Grade Admission —

Vaccine	Doses required (Starting July 1, 2019)	Doses required (Before July 1, 2019)
Varicella	2	Age 7–12 years: 1 Age 13–17 years: same
MMR	2*	1–2**
Hepatitis B	3 (7th grade: 0)	0
Polio	4	same
DTaP	5	same

* New requirements also met by 2 doses measles, 2 doses mumps, and 1 dose rubella vaccine.
** Prior requirements also met by:
Age 7–17 years: 1 dose measles, 0 doses mumps, and 1 dose rubella vaccine.
7th grade: 2 doses measles, 0 doses mumps, and 0 doses rubella vaccine.

7th Grade Advancement

Vaccine	Doses Required (After June 30, 2025)	Doses Required (July 1, 2019-June 30, 2025)	Doses Required (Before July 1, 2019)
Varicella	2 (if new admission or admitted between July 1, 2019–June 30, 2025; otherwise, 1)	2	1 at admission
Tdap	1	1	1

Complete details in 17 CCR section 6025, Table B (PDF).

What’s the same about the new immunization dose requirements for school (TK/K–12)?
Other vaccine dose requirements of 5 doses of DTaP, 4 doses of polio, and 1 dose of Tdap at 7th grade entry remain the same.

Not Changing for TK/K–12 Admission –

Vaccine	Doses typically required before or after July 1, 2019
Polio	4
DTaP	5

Complete details in 17 CCR section 6025, Table B (PDF).

What’s the varicella requirement for students entering 7th grade after June 30, 2025?

Admission: Students admitted to any grade, including 7th grade, are subject to the 2-dose varicella requirement.

Advancement: For 7th grade advancement, the 2-dose varicella requirement expires after June 30, 2025. Schools will no longer be required to check for varicella vaccine at 7th grade advancement because most students would have already been subject to the 2-dose varicella requirement prior to 7th grade. If a school discovers a student has been subject to the 2-dose requirement and only has one dose so far, then the student is required to complete the series in accordance with the conditional admission schedule.

Medical exemption expiring after 6th grade: A student would need proof of receiving any doses that are due or a new medical exemption issued in CAIR-ME for the 7th–12th grade span.
What’s different about the new immunization requirements for pre-kindergarten (child care or preschool)?

Starting July 1, 2019, immunization requirements include:
- Chickenpox vaccine is required at age 15 months and older (rather than age 18 months and older).
- Other required vaccine dose requirements remain the same.
- As children age into requirements, parents have 30 days to submit updated records showing the child has met the requirements. For example, when an already admitted child who is up-to-date on shots turns 18 months old, the parents have 30 days from the day the child turns 18 months old to submit records that the child has received the 4th dose of DTaP and 3rd dose of Hep B.
Where can I find the immunization regulations?
See regulations starting July 1, 2019 (PDF)
Do students admitted in previous school years have to meet the new requirements in the 2019–2020 school year and beyond?

If a child is considered an admission at any school at any date on or after July 1, 2019 (including transfer students), the child will need to meet the newer immunization requirements in effect at the time of admission.

If a child is advancing to 7th grade in the fall of 2019 or later, the child must meet the 7th grade requirements in effect at the time of entry into 7th grade.
Do the new regulations affect the availability of personal beliefs exemptions (PBEs) in California?
No. Additional information about PBEs are at shotsforschool.
For students admitted to school prior to the 2019–2020 school year, do schools need to transfer information from students’ existing Blue Cards to the new Blue Card (PDF)?
No. Schools may continue to use students’ existing Blue Cards.