Schools & Child Care

As a parent or guardian, you may choose to exempt your child from one or more of the immunization requirements for school. However, your child may be at risk for disease. Children with exemptions have contributed to disease outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in Spokane County and put your child and people in the community at risk. The Washington State Administrative Code 246-110 allows a health officer to exclude children from school or childcare during an outbreak of vaccine-preventable disease if the child has not been fully immunized due to a medical, religious, philosophical, or personal exemption. Immunizations are a safe, effective way to prevent disease! Please take the time to carefully consider your options.

On May 10, 2011, Governor Gregoire signed a bill that requires a licensed health care provider to sign the Certificate of Exemption for a parent or guardian to exempt their child from school and child care immunization requirements. The signature verifies that the provider gave the parent or guardian information about the benefits and risks of immunization. A parent or guardian can also turn in a signed letter from a health care provider stating the same information. A health care provider doesn't need to sign the form for parents or guardians who demonstrate membership in a church or religious group that does not allow a health care provider to provide medical treatment to a child.

Washington State Department of Health - Frequently Asked Questions

• Changes to State Immunization Rules for Schools and Child Care
  

• MMR Vaccine Exemption Law Change - Information

• Certificate of Immunization Status
  

• How to Print the CIS from the WA Immunization Information System (IIS)

• Certificate of Exemption

• Certificate of Immunization Status & Certificate of Exemption FAQs

• Individual Vaccine Requirements Summary (IVRS) - detailed clinical guidance on immunization required for school and child care-/preschool entry

• Immunization Manual for Schools, Preschools, and Child Care facilities

• Notice of Exclusions for Immunization Noncompliance Letter (Word doc-DOH)

• School Communicable Disease Manual

• Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices – Foreign Language Terms

• Quick Chart of Foreign Language Terms – Immunization Action Coalition

• Vaccine Trade Names and Abbreviations

• Binational Mexico Immunization Resource Tool for Birth Through 18 Years