Tdap Requirement and Documentation
What is the new Tdap requirement for 7th Graders?
•For the 2016-17 school year, and all future school years, all students entering, advancing or transferring into 7th grade will need proof of an adolescent whooping cough booster immunization (called “Tdap”) for school in the fall.
Who is affected by the Tdap requirement?
All public and private schools are affected by the law, including but not limited to
•Charter schools
•Community schools
•Juvenile court schools
•Other alternative school settings
Students who are affected by the law include but are not limited to:
•International or exchange students
•Children in foster care
•Homeless students (see below)
•Students transferring from outside of California to a school in California at any time during the school year
For 2016-17 and future years, are students transferring into the 8th through 12th grades from out of state subject to the pertussis booster requirement?
Students transferring from outside of California, including from other countries, are required to meet the Tdap requirement upon admission into any of the 8th through 12th grades at a California school. Students age 18 years and older are recommended to have the pertussis booster vaccine but it is not required for admission for those students.
What immunization (vaccine, shot) is necessary to meet the new requirements?
Students affected by the new requirements need documentation of one dose of Tdap to begin classes in the new school year.
Meets 7th - 12th Grade Requirement
Vaccine
When given?
YES, meets the requirement.
Tdap
Adacel
Boostrix
Immunization before the 7th birthday does not fulfill the requirement, even if given immediately before the 7th birthday.
What if a child received a Tdap booster shot before their 10th birthday?
Children who received a dose of Tdap on or after their 7th birthday will be considered to have met the new school requirement. However, CDPH recommends that children receive Tdap on or after their 10th birthday to provide better protection throughout their adolescent years.
Why should children get vaccinated with Tdap?
In addition to it being a new requirement for school, children who get a Tdap booster shot will be better protected during their school years. Immunization helps protect others within the home, in the community, and at school. Immunizations also help prevent school closures. Many schools in California suffered from outbreaks of whooping cough. Students got very sick and parents missed work and lost wages because they needed to stay home and care for their sick children. In some cases, schools had to close because so many teachers were home sick.
Why was the Tdap requirement added?
The new immunization requirement is intended to reduce the spread of whooping cough in California. In recent years the United States has seen an increase in whooping cough. In 2010, California had the most cases of whooping cough reported in over 60 years.
Prior to entering kindergarten, most children are fully protected against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis after receiving the DTaP vaccine in early childhood. However, immunity to these diseases wears off, leaving adolescents vulnerable once again. A booster dose of Tdap during adolescence helps to protect students and their close contacts, including young infants for whom pertussis is most severe and sometimes fatal.
What can schools accept as proof of immunization?
Any immunization record [‘yellow card’, CAIR record (see below), computer printout, immigration record etc.] that includes the following information is acceptable:
•Student’s name
•Date of birth
•Vaccine name or abbreviation,
•Date vaccine administered
•Name (written or stamp) of the clinic, office, or doctor administering the vaccine.
Please contact your local health department’s Immunization Program to request initial or additional supplies.