Add Immunizations to School Supply Lists - Required for Kindergarten through 12th Grade
Immunizations are an important part of a child's health, and Missouri law requires children enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade to be immunized against certain vaccine-preventable diseases.
School-aged children must be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis B, and varicella.
Individuals attending kindergarten through 12th grade are required to provide proof of up-to-date immunizations at registration. State regulation specifies that an individual cannot attend until all required immunizations are current.
Public, private, parochial and parish schools are required to know the immunization status of the children enrolled in the facility. This information not only protects children but also the staff from harmful and potentially deadly vaccine-preventable diseases.
It is the responsibility of the school to maintain the immunization histories of all the children enrolled and to report that information to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services by October 15th of each year.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ Back to School campaign resources are available to help remind parents/guardians to get a child’s immunizations before school starts.
These resources include a bookmark, reminder postcards (both hardcopy and ecards), fact sheets and information on the Vaccines for Children program. They are available at no cost and can be ordered at health.mo.gov/immunizations or by calling 573.751.6124.