Immunizations
No Shots? No Records? No School.
State law requires that all students under age 18 years, TK through grade 12, be immunized against certain diseases unless they are exempt for medical reasons. At the time of registration, the school is required to have proof that your child has received all currently due immunizations.
Check with your pediatrician, family physician, or medical clinic to make sure your child is fully immunized. Your child may be excluded from attending school if these requirements are not met.
Parents may review the Guide to Immunization Requirements for K-12th Grade | Spanish See Exemptions FAQs for more information.
IMMUNIZATION MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS
For admissions on or after January 1, 2021, what is required for a medical exemption to a required immunization?
Starting January 1, 2021:
- Medical exemptions can only be issued through the California Immunization Registry – Medical Exemption website (CAIR-ME) by physicians licensed in California.
- Schools and child care facilities may only accept from parents new medical exemptions that are issued using CAIR-ME.
Are medical exemptions filed for children in attendance at a California child care facility or school before 2021 valid in later years?
A medical exemption filed at a pre-kindergarten facility or school remains valid until the earliest of:
- When the child enrolls in the next grade span (TK/K-6th grade, 7th-12th grade)
- The expiration date specified in a temporary medical exemption
- Revocation of the exemption because the issuing physician has been subject to disciplinary action from the physician’s licensing entity
A doctor has told a child’s parents that their child needs a medical exemption from a required immunization. How do parents get a medical exemption for their child?
RESOURCES
