Add Routine Vaccines to Your Back-to-School Checklist

Published on July 19, 2023

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) encourages families to make sure their children are up to date on routine vaccines before they head back to school.

“Well child visits and school or sports physicals provide a great opportunity to check with a health care provider to find out what vaccines children may need,” said Kerry Kernen, Assistant Health Director. 

Vaccinations help protect against many childhood diseases like chickenpox, flu, measles, mumps, polio, and whooping cough. They help keep kids healthy, in school and ready to learn. 

The required and recommended vaccines for children and adolescents include:

Elementary - state law requires children enrolling in kindergarten or first grade (depending on their school district’s entering grade) and transfer students have proof of receiving the following vaccinations:

• three doses of hepatitis B vaccine

• three doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DTaP)

• three doses of polio vaccine (IPV)

• two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR)

• two doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine

Middle School/Junior High through High School - Youth entering seventh grade and transfer students must have all of the above vaccinations, as well as a Tdap pertussis booster. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends one dose of meningococcal vaccine at age 11 or 12, and two doses of human papillomavirus vaccine, which prevents various cancers. A second dose of meningococcal vaccine is recommended at age 16.

College – The CDC recommends a meningococcal vaccine for first-year college students, particularly those living in residence halls, and those who may not have received their second dose at age 16. The vaccine helps prevent bacterial meningitis among other serious illnesses.

Child Care/Pre-K - Children enrolled in licensed child care and school-based pre-K programs also need to be up-to-date with age-appropriate immunizations.

COVID-19 vaccine is another safe and effective vaccine that will help keep children healthy. Children age 6 years and older should get one bivalent dose of COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date. Children age 6 months to 5 years may need multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be up to date, including at least one dose of bivalent vaccine.

LLCHD participates in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, which provides vaccines to eligible uninsured, underinsured, American Indian, and Medicaid-enrolled children at no cost or low cost. More information on the program is available online at health.lincoln.ne.gov or by calling 402-441-8065.

Parents can access immunization records online if a child’s health care provider participates in the Nebraska State Immunization Information System at  https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Immunization-Records.aspx.

For more information on Nebraska’s child care and school immunizations standards, go to dhhs.ne.gov/immunizations.