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Welcome arrow Health Office arrow 2007 6th Grade Info
To: Parents of current fifth grade students, public and private schools
From: Cynthia DiLaura Devore, MD, FAAP, District Physician

Please be advised of a change in immunization law that may affect your current fifth grade student. The new law requires a Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Acellular Pertussis (Tdap) booster shot for children born on or after January 1, 1994 AND entering sixth grade on or after September 1, 2007. (Note: A child born before January 1, 1994 and entering sixth grade will not need the vaccine. A child born after January 1, 1994 and entering a grade other than sixth will not need the vaccine). The law specifically states both the birthday AND the grade as requirements for the vaccine. The actual wording of the legislation is below for your information.

This legislation was put into action because of the large number of outbreaks of Pertussis we have seen especially in middle school aged children over the past years, an illness that is highly contagious and that can go on for weeks and be spread within entire families. Also, Tetanus is an often missed diagnosis in emergency rooms, and the booster will afford your children further protection against that vaccine preventable disease.

If you see your primary care provider for a well child or a sick visit in the near future, you may want to discuss this matter with them. Otherwise please plan to schedule an appointment for the vaccine with your private health care provider or at the county health department’s immunization clinic between now and August, and send written documentation of the completed vaccine to the school nurse before September 1, 2007. We advise that you keep a copy of this document for your own records.

Please understand that the district must adhere to all public health laws. Accordingly, any child who has not satisfied the requirement for the Tdap booster vaccination and who is not otherwise exempted with prior district approval will not be allowed to enter school on the first day in September 2007. Therefore, your cooperation will be very important and very much appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.


“Every person in parental relation to a child in this state born on or after January first, nineteen hundred ninety-four and entering sixth grade or a comparable age level special education program with an unassigned grade on or after September first, two thousand seven, shall have administered to such child a booster immunization containing diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, and an acellular Pertussis vaccine, which meets the standards approved by the United States public health service for such biological products, and which is approved by the department under such conditions as may be specified by the public health council. This act shall take effect September 1, 2007.”