DIPHTHERIA, TETANUS, AND PERTUSSIS
(DTP, DT, DTAP, TD OR TDAP)

• Four (4) dose minimum — One dose must be on or after the child’s fourth birthday.
• For unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children 7 years of age and older, refer to currently published Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Catch-Up Schedule for number of doses necessary to complete diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis series, and meet this requirement.
• The Department of Health and Environmental Control requires all seventh-, eighth-, ninth-, 10th-, 11th- and 12th-graders to have one dose of a Tdap booster on or after their 10th birthday. Tdap also protects them from tetanus and diphtheria.
• In order to register your seventh-grader, you will need to bring a completed South Carolina Certificate of Immunization that shows that your seventh-grader has received a Tdap booster.

POLIO (IPV/OPV)

• Three dose minimum — One dose must be on or after child’s fourth birthday.
• The final dose in the IPV series should be on the fourth birthday or older, regardless of the number of previous doses.
• Students already enrolled in Grades 11–12 are in compliance if they have had: three (3) doses with one dose on or after the fourth birthday OR four (4) doses before the fourth birthday.

MEASLES, MUMPS, AND RUBELLA (MMR)

Two (2) dose minimum — Both doses must be received on or after the first birthday and separated by at least four (4) weeks.

HEPATITIS A

 Two (2) dose minimum — Two doses of the Hepatitis A vaccine will be required for all 5-year-old kindergarten, first and second grade students. Both doses must have been received on or after the first birthday and separated by at least 6 months.

HEPATITIS B

Three (3) dose minimum — The Hepatitis B vaccine, required for all students, must be received at the proper intervals.

VARICELLA (CHICKENPOX)

Two (2) dose minimum — Two doses of the Varicella vaccine are now required for all 5-year-old kindergarten and first-, second-, third-, fourth-, fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth grade students. Both doses must have been received on or after the first birthday and separated by four weeks.

Students in Grades 9 through 12 must have received one (1) dose of the Varicella vaccine on or after their 1st birthday. Students with a documented case of chickenpox are exempt from this requirement.

Follow these steps to make sure your child is ready for school.

1. Schedule your child’s well visit/physical early before school starts. Spring or summer break is a great time to get this done so you won’t run into any delays once school begins.

2. Ask your child’s healthcare provider what vaccines your child needs. Some vaccines are not required for school attendance but are highly recommended by physicians for all students.

When every student receives an annual flu vaccine it protects schools from flu outbreaks. Adolescents also need the HPV vaccine to protect against cancers. Vaccines are also needed to protect against meningitis.

3. Obtain a new South Carolina Certificate of Immunization every time your child has a shot.

4. Give a copy of the new South Carolina Certificate of Immunization to your child’s school.