Back to School Vaccines

It’s that time of year again. The back-to-school season is here, and that may mean that it’s time for your children to get more vaccinations.

You should listen to your doctor’s advice and follow the school’s requirements. However, here are the vaccine guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the vaccines required for school.

What Vaccines are Required for School?

Kindergarten Vaccines

As your child enters kindergarten, they will need the following vaccinations: 

• Diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (pertussis) (DTaP)

• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)

• Chickenpox (varicella)

• Polio (IPV)

• Yearly influenza (flu) vaccine

Elementary School Vaccines

If your child is caught up on all their kindergarten vaccines, they shouldn’t need any other required vaccines for school. The one exception is that the CDC recommends that children get the annual influenza (flu) vaccine every year.

Middle School Vaccines

As your kid gets ready to head to middle school, the CDC recommends the following vaccines:

• HPV vaccine

• Tdap

• Meningococcal conjugate vaccine

• Flu vaccine every flu season

High School Vaccines

Your teenager should be current on their vaccinations by now. The only thing to worry about is the yearly influenza (flu) vaccine.

College Vaccines

As young adults prepare for college, the CDC recommends the following vaccines:

• Tdap

• HPV vaccine (for those not vaccinated at a younger age)

• Flu vaccine every flu season

Some states also require students entering college to be vaccinated against other diseases, such as meningitis, due to the increased risk among students living in residential housing facilities.

Does My Child Need to Be Vaccinated to Attend School?

Your state and local vaccination requirements will determine whether or not your child needs to be vaccinated to attend school. 

State laws outline the required vaccines for school children, including requirements for children in public schools, private schools, and daycare facilities. All state vaccination requirements have medical exemptions, and some state laws offer religious and/or philosophical exemptions.

Will Colleges Require COVID-19 Vaccines?

It is best to reach out to the college's admissions or health department to verify if the COVID-19 vaccine is required. Many U.S. colleges already require on-campus students to provide proof of required immunizations for school to minimize the spread of illnesses across campus. However, many experts agree that vaccines are the best way to ensure a safer semester this fall. 

COVID-19 Vaccines for College Students

The CDC’s COVID-19 vaccination program is assigning colleges and universities a key role in distribution, and some U.S. colleges are already administering COVID-19 vaccines.

COVID-19 Vaccine for School Children

In October 2025, the CDC recommended individual-based decision-making regarding COVID vaccination in both children and adults. This means that parents should discuss their children’s health history, risk factors for complications from COVID-19, and evidence regarding the benefits of the vaccine.  In July 2025, the FDA approved certain COVID vaccines for use in children 6 months through 11 years old with at least one underlying health condition that puts them at increased risk of complications from COVID-19. Research shows that children without underlying health benefits will still benefit from the vaccine. Talk with your pediatrician or family doctor about what is best for your child. 

The Importance of Required Immunizations for School

You may think that your child has a healthy immune system and doesn’t need all the recommended vaccines. However, vaccines protect more than just your child.

Some children with a weak immune system cannot receive vaccines. While your child may survive chickenpox, measles, or mild COVID-19 symptoms, they can pass it to a classmate who may experience complications as a result of your decision not to vaccinate your kid.

People with weak immune systems, including those battling cancer or other life-threatening diseases, rely on herd immunity to keep them safe.

If enough of the population (at least 93–95%) is vaccinated, sick people who cannot get vaccines are more likely protected from preventable diseases. If too many people do not get vaccinated, the entire community is affected because the most vulnerable people get sicker.

Why Does My Child Need the Flu Vaccine Every Year?

The influenza virus is always mutating, and therefore produces several different strains of the virus yearly. Each flu season, a different strain sweeps through the population as the main virus of infection. As a result, we need to make a new flu vaccine every year to cover the outbreak.

Although most vaccines provide a lifetime of protection once somebody has received all the booster shots, influenza is different. While the flu vaccine isn’t 100% effective, it’s still important to protect as many people as possible.

Related: How Long Does the Flu Shot Last?

But the Flu Is Harmless, Right?

Despite the common misconception that everybody recovers from the flu and that the vaccine is pointless, tens of thousands of people die from flu-related complications every year.

According to the CDC, there are typically 12,000–56,000 flu-related deaths in the United States every year. The 2017–2018 flu season was one of the worst on record, with 80,000 Americans dying from the flu or its complications.

While your child may have a strong enough immune system to fight the flu, they may have a classmate who doesn’t. Also, children under 5 and adults over 65 are the most at risk. Giving your kid the flu vaccine every year can help protect your child, family, and the community.

Read More About Vaccines

• Which Vaccines Do Kids Need?

• Flu Treatment Online

• Pfizer Vaccine vs Moderna Vaccine: Which Should You Get?

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