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Immunizations & Vaccines

Be Wise and Immunize

School Regulations

Pennsylvania Health Law mandates that all students have complete immunization records upon entering school, at any grade.

For Attendance in All Grades

Children are required to have on the first day of school:

  • 4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (usually given as DTP or DTaP or DT or Td)
  • 4 doses of polio
  • 2 doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (usually given as MMR)
  • 3 doses of hepatitis B
  • 2 doses of varicella (chicken pox) or evidence of immuinty

Attending 7th Grade

Children are required to have on the first day of 7th grade:

  • 1 additional dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) (if 5 years has elapsed since last tetanus immunization)
  • 1 dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV)

Attending 12th Grade

Children are required to have on the first day of 12th grade:

  • 1 additional dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV)

Unless the child has a medical or religious/philosophical exemption, a child must have the above vaccines on the first day of school or risk exclusion. For more information, download the PA Department of Health's Don't Wait Vaccinate Flyer, contact your health care provider, or call 1-877-PA-HEALTH.

Pennsylvania’s school immunization requirements can be found in 28 PA.CODE CH.23 (School Immunization.) 

Pertussis - Whooping Cough

Pertussis, also known as Whooping Cough, is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection spread by coughing and sneezing. Symptoms can include violent coughing, difficulty breathing, and vomiting. In the last 30 years, cases of pertussis have been on the rise in the United States, especially among teens, preteens, and infants younger than 6 months of age. Pertussus in preteens or teens can range from mild to severe. About 1 in 5 infants with pertussis gets pneumonia. The infection often causes a lengthy illness that can lead to repeated doctor visits and missed school.

Vaccine protection for pertussis, tetanus, and diphtheria can fade with time. These prior vaccines are usually given together in one shot. Pre-teens going to the doctor for their regular check-up at age 11 or 12 years should get a booster vaccine, called Tdap. Teens and young adults who didn't get a booster as a pre-teen should get one dose when they visit their health care provider.

For more information, please visit the US Center for Disease Control - Pertussis Webpage.

For Parents of Unvaccinated Children

If an outbreak of a communicable disease (such as Chicken Pox or Measles) which your child is not immunized against should occur at AGCS, your child would be excluded from attending school during the incubation period of the disease, as defined by the Chester County Health Department.