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Immunization Requirements

Materials for school and child care assessments were updated in 2023

On March 9, 2023, the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules voted to suspend some of the recently added changes to Wisconsin’s administrative code (Wis. Admin. Code ch. DHS 144) that pertained to school and child care immunization requirements. The changes were originally published in late January, and were effective as of February 1, 2023.

Requirements for polio, hepatitis B, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), DTaP/DTP/DT/TD (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) that were in effect before January 2023 have not changed.

Changed impacted by the suspension

The changes impacted by the suspension included:

Report of chickenpox (varicella) disease

Suspended rule: A physician, physician assistant, or an advanced practice nurse prescriber must document a reliable history of chickenpox by indicating on the department's student immunization record form that the student has had chickenpox.

Current rule: Parental report of chickenpox is acceptable.

Substantial outbreak definition

Suspended rule: Updating the definitions of “substantial outbreak" to add chickenpox and meningococcal disease to the definitions.

Current rule: The diseases still included in the substantial outbreak definition are measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, diphtheria, and haemophilus influenzae type b.

MenACWY containing vaccine requirement

Suspended rule: Adding MenACWY containing vaccine to the requirements for students entering seventh grade, and a booster dose for eligible students entering 12th grade.

Current rule: MenACWY containing vaccine is not required for school entry.

Changes not impacted by the suspension and that remain in effect

The changes not impacted by the suspension and remain in effect included:

  • Changing the grade the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine) is required from the start of sixth grade to the start of seventh grade; this change is to better align with the recommended age (age 11) at which children should receive the vaccine.
  • Requiring schools to provide reports of vaccine compliance to the Department of Health Services (DHS) in addition to the previously existing requirement to report to local health departments.
  • Removing outdated provisions relating to the 2008–2009 phase-in of Tdap and chickenpox vaccines.

A child reads a book with his feet up on a bookcase

Wisconsin immunization law requirements

Before vaccines, many children died from diseases that are now rare in the United States. Vaccines are our best protection against serious, sometimes deadly, diseases. To protect our children, Wisconsin law requires all students to do one of the following:

  • Show proof they got required vaccines.
  • Provide a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.

All schools, childcare centers, and other public health agencies must follow vaccine laws. We work together with these groups to protect the health of our children.

School law requirements

Find resources and requirements for the 2023-2024 school year below or watch our Wisconsin Student Immunization Law presentation.

Search for your school’s Local Education Agency (LEA) code and school code. You can search by district, public school, or private school:

Child care requirements

The Wisconsin Child Care Immunization Assessment, P-44329 (PDF) booklet has all the details child care centers need to complete the annual assessment. The latest version of the Child Care Assessment booklet is published in the spring. The assessment is due at the end of spring each year. The specific deadline and website information to submit the assessment is included in the Child Care Assessment booklet.

According to state law, child care centers should require all parents to keep their immunization records up to date. Use this form to meet the requirement: Child Care Immunization Record, F-44192.

Here are the latest results, made available after the close of each school year: Child Care Immunization Assessment Results, Wisconsin, P-01445 (PDF).

This document helps parents understand vaccines needed for their child to attend a child care center: Child Care Immunization Assessment, P-02047 (PDF).

Give parents the Child Care Immunization Record, F-44192 so they can keep their immunization records up to date. Parents can access their child’s immunization record from the child’s doctor or through the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR).

The Wisconsin Immunization Program, Immunization Action Coalition, and Vaccinate Your Family have resources to answer parent and guardian questions about vaccines.

What is the purpose of the law?

Immunizations protect children from diseases like measles, chickenpox, or whooping cough.

If a child becomes sick, they will need to stay at home. This may mean missed income for you and missed work for parents. Some children may need to be hospitalized. By staying up to date on immunizations, children will reduce the chances of getting sick with a preventable disease.

The purpose of this report is to make sure children are getting the immunizations they need to stay healthy. This report helps health departments understand the health of children in your county and the state.

How can I prepare for completing the immunization assessment?

A child’s immunization record may change quickly over time. Therefore, it is important to review each child’s record regularly and ask parents/guardians for any missing information. You can review immunization records throughout the year to ensure children stay up to date.

Parents can find their child’s immunization record from their child’s doctor or through the Wisconsin Immunization Registry

You can ask parents to complete the Child Care Immunization Record, F-44192 for each child. The form includes all the information that you will need to complete the assessment.

What if a parent refuses to vaccinate a child?

In Wisconsin, if a parent refuses to vaccinate their child, they may seek either a religious waiver or a personal conviction waiver. For the purposes of the Immunization Assessment, you will need to collect the number of religious waivers and the number of personal conviction waivers.

What if a child cannot receive a vaccine because they have a medical condition?

Rarely, a child may be unable to receive a vaccine because of certain medical conditions. In this case, they will need a health waiver. These health waivers will also need to be counted for the Immunization Assessment.

What immunizations are required for children in child care?

The number and type of immunizations that a child receives is based on their age. Current requirements can be found in the Child Care Immunization Record, F-44192.

Why do some children have more vaccines?

Some children will have more vaccines than the state law requires. This is because the state law includes the minimum number of vaccines children need to be in child care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and most doctors recommend additional vaccines for a child to be considered fully protected.

What will happen with the results of the immunization assessment?

The Immunization Assessment results are shared with both your local health department and the state Immunization Program. From there the data will be shared in two ways:

  • Individual child care center results will be shared with local health department health officers and staff.
  • Child care center results will be totaled for the whole state and then shared on the state Immunization Program website.

How is the assessment submitted?

A specific assessment due date and website information will be provided with the email of the Immunization Assessment. Once you submit the Immunization Assessment, the results will automatically be sent to both the state and local health departments. If you are unable to access the internet to submit the assessment, please call 608-267-9959 when the assessment is due.

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Last revised March 12, 2024