Wisconsin schools and child care programs receive updated vaccination requirements

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has updated its immunization requirements for school-age children. These new requirements will take effect at the start of the 2024-25 school year.

It's not just school-age children who are changing the requirements. The changes are already in effect for child care programs, but the agency notes that the first evaluation based on these criteria will take place in spring 2025, according to the Wisconsin DHS website.

Wisconsin allows exceptions for medical, religious or philosophical reasons.

What you need to know:

What has changed?

The changes are as the Wisconsin Department of Health Services described in a webinar:

Students entering seventh grade must be vaccinated against meningococcus (meningitis). Students entering twelfth grade must receive a booster dose. Students who receive their first dose after age 16 do not need to receive a booster dose.

To be exempt from the varicella (chickenpox) vaccination requirement required for admission to daycare and schools, students must now show a confirmed case from a qualified health care provider. Previously, a parent or guardian only had to report that their child had a case.

The definition of an outbreak now includes varicella and meningococcus. For more information on this definition, visit bit.ly/Wisschoolvaxchanges.

What vaccinations are required for my child in Fox Valley schools?

These state DHS requirements apply to public and private schools as well as state-approved child care centers, explains Dr. Stephanie Schauer, director of the DHS Wisconsin immunization program.

Required vaccinations for students vary by age and grade level, unless an exemption applies.

Childcare or preschool

To participate in a child care or preschool program, children ages 2, 3, and 4 need:

Three doses of the polio vaccine.

Four doses of DTaP/DPT/DT/TD (combined vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). If the third dose is given after the fourth birthday or four days or less before that birthday, no further doses of this vaccine are needed.

One dose of MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella). The first dose must have been given on or after the child's first birthday, or four days before his or her first birthday. Laboratory evidence of immunity to these three diseases is also sufficient.

Three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine. You do not need the vaccine if there is laboratory evidence that you are immune to hepatitis B.

A dose of varicella (chickenpox). Under the new changes, this is not required if a qualified physician documents that the student has had a confirmed case of chickenpox—confirmation from a parent or guardian alone will no longer be accepted.

Three doses of the vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type B.

Three doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Kindergarten to 12th grade

To attend kindergarten through grade 12 (or to enroll children ages 5 and older in preschool), students in Wisconsin must have:

Four doses of polio vaccine. If the student received a third dose on or after his or her fourth birthday or four days or less before that birthday, a fourth dose is not needed.

Three doses of hepatitis B vaccine. You do not need the vaccine if there is laboratory evidence that you are immune to hepatitis B.

Four doses of DTaP/DPT/DT/TD (combined diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccines). The student must receive one dose—either the third, fourth, or fifth dose—on or after his or her fourth birthday, or four days before that birthday.

Two doses of varicella (chickenpox). Under the new changes, this is not required if a qualified physician documents that the student has had a confirmed case of chickenpox. Confirmation by a parent or guardian alone will no longer be accepted.

Two doses of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella). The first dose must have been given on or after the child's first birthday or four days before his or her first birthday. Laboratory evidence of immunity to these three diseases is also sufficient.

To enter seventh grade, they will need a Tdap vaccine (adolescent combination of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). If they have received one dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine within five years before entering seventh grade, they will not need an additional dose to meet this requirement.

Under the changes, they will also need a MenACWY (meningococcal) vaccine to enter seventh grade.

Under the changes, they will need a booster dose of the MenACWY-containing vaccine to enter Year 12 unless they received their first dose on or after their 16th birthday.

If students received a report of chickenpox from their parents before 2024, the changes will not require families to submit additional documentation. If you have any questions, contact your child's school.

For a complete list of vaccination requirements, including those for children under 5, visit bit.ly/WisschoolandCCvax.

Are there exceptions to these rules?

Yes, Wisconsin continues to offer exemptions for medical, religious or philosophical reasons, according to a press release from Wisconsin DHS.

To obtain such materials and if you have any questions, please contact your school.

When does my child have to comply?

A child can be expelled from school for not meeting immunization requirements (this includes an exemption). According to a legal remedy Wisconsin schools can use, the child may also face legal action and/or a “forfeiture penalty.”

How do I get my child's vaccination certificate?

Parents and guardians can have questions about their child’s vaccination record answered by the responsible health authority or health insurance company.

To view your child's immunization records, check the Wisconsin Immunization Registry online at dhfswir.org. It contains all vaccinations administered in Wisconsin.

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Wisconsin schools and child care programs receive updated vaccination requirements

What has changed?

What vaccinations are required for my child in Fox Valley schools?

Childcare or preschool

Kindergarten to 12th grade

Are there exceptions to these rules?

When does my child have to comply?

How do I get my child's vaccination certificate?

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Wisconsin schools and child care programs receive updated vaccination requirements

What has changed?

What vaccinations are required for my child in Fox Valley schools?

Childcare or preschool

Kindergarten to 12th grade

Are there exceptions to these rules?

When does my child have to comply?

How do I get my child's vaccination certificate?

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