School Immunization Information

Students who are not compliant with all recommended immunizations by the first day of school, WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to start the school year. If you have questions, contact your child's building nurse. Any shot records that have been updated should be sent to the building nurse to be put in your student's record.

Missouri School Immunization Requirements

As mandated by the Missouri Department of Health, students must have up-to-date immunizations before being permitted to attend classes. The required vaccines prior to the start of 8^th grade are the Tdap and one dose of Meningococcal (MCV). The Tdap vaccine is a combination vaccine that covers 3 diseases; tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.

Tetanus, also known as “lock jaw” is a serious bacterial disease that affects the nervous system. It is usually caused by an infected wound. The symptoms start with muscle spasms in the jaw and can cause difficulty swallowing . The spasms continue to move to the arms, thighs, and abdomen. Prevention of tetanus is by vaccine. Children usually receive 4 doses prior to age 2, a booster around age 5, age 11 and every 10 years in adulthood. Information Obtained from: http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/tetanus.html#

Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection that spreads easily and occurs quickly. Symptoms include; sore throat, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, double vision, slurred speech, shock, and if noted treated, death. Prevention is vaccination. The vaccine schedule is the same as the tetanus vaccine and is given as a combination vaccine. Information Obtained from: http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/lung/diphtheria.html#

Pertussis, also known as “whooping cough”, is a highly contagious, vaccine preventable respiratory disease that can be fatal. Adults and older children with pertussis may be the source of infection for infants and young children. This is a concern because in recent years, more adults, adolescents, have been contracting pertussis. Lincoln County had a few confirmed cases last year. Symptoms include: running nose, sneezing, mild cough, low- grade fever, explosive bursts of coughing develops with a high pitch whoop with vomiting. Some people, particularly infants, develop pneumonia and ear infections. Exclusion from school 5 days after start of antibiotics or if not treated, 21 days after onset of cough. Prevention is vaccination. Studies have shown that the immunity against pertussis decreases from age 3-5 years after the last vaccination. Adolescents should receive a Tdap booster starting at age 11. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Service recommend that adults 19-64 and adults having close contact with infants less than 12 months of age, get the Tdap instead of the Td booster to maintain immunity. Information Obtained from: Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases by the Department of Health and Senior Services.

MCV -Meningococcal vaccines help protect against the bacteria that cause meningococcal disease. These infections don’t happen very often, but can be very dangerous when they do. Meningococcal disease refers to any illness that is caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. The two most severe and common illnesses caused by these bacteria include infections of the fluid and lining around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream infections (bacteremia or septicemia). Information obtained from: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/teen/mening.html

For more information, please contact the Lewis County Health Department or Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention; Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573)751-6113 or (866)628-9891.

Please talk to your pediatrician to see if vaccination is right for your child.