Starting this school year, all students entering seventh grade and 12th grade must prove they have had two doses of the vaccine for meningitis. This includes students in both public and private schools throughout Iowa.
For 12th graders born after Sept. 15, 1999, the second dose must have been given on or after their 16th birthday.
Many students receive their meningitis vaccines at their regular checkups and sports physicals, so they will simply need to provide their schools with a certificate of immunization.
Children who have only received the first dose of the meningitis vaccine may begin the school year if they provide the school with a provisional certificate of immunization. That temporary certificate lasts 60 days, so the student must get a second dose within a few weeks of school starting.
There is no extension or grace period for seventh or 12th grade students. If a student doesn’t provide either a regular or provisional certificate of immunization with the meningococcal vaccination listed, they will be barred from attending school until they are immunized.
Now is the time to make an appointment for your seventh or 12th grader to complete these immunizations. Call your medical clinic today.
Ann Cochran is the health navigation coordinator in the Dallas County Public Health Department.
