Covid-19 Vaccination Resources for New York State School Districts – School District Specific Video for Use
Immunization Toolkit for Schools
Welcome to the School Immunization Toolkit!
Schools play a vital role in ensuring children receive the vaccines they need to live long healthy lives. Public Health Law Section 2164(7)(a), requires that schools ensure students meet these requirements for school entry. Schools must also complete an annual immunization survey online and report the immunization status of all students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12. This toolkit links schools with information and resources to assist you in meeting the school immunization requirements that protect your students and broader school community.
Within this toolkit you will find:
- NYS Immunization requirements for school enrollment/attendance.
- Immunization Schedules.
- Immunization-Related Medical Exemptions for School-Aged Children.
- How to enroll in the New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS).
- NYS Public Health Law Section 2164 Requirements on Schools.
- Annual School Survey Requirements.
- Guides, Fact Sheets, Posters, and Frequently Asked Questions on Influenza, Meningococcal, and HPV.
- Pneumococcal Vaccine Requirements.
Your local health department immunization staff are your go-to local resource regarding school vaccination requirements and related questions. For a directory of local health departments, visit NYSACHO Member Directory. For questions regarding child care programs, schools and post-secondary institutions contact the NYSDOH Bureau of Immunization’s School Assessment and Compliance Unit at phone: 518-474-1944, email: osas@health.ny.gov, or refer to the New York State Department of Health, the Immunization Action Coalition and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New York State Immunization Requirements for School Entrance/Attendance
Students are required to meet minimum vacation requirements in order to attend school in New York State. Click on the link below to view the current immunization requirements for school entrance/attendance.
Immunization Requirements for School Entrance/Attendance for the 2023-24 school year
Source: New York State Department of Health
Immunization Schedules
Routine vaccines help protect children and adolescents from 16 serious diseases. These parent-friendly schedules outline what vaccines are recommended at which ages.
- Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for ages 18 years or younger, United States
Source: CDC
- Catch-up immunization schedule for persons aged 4 months–18 years who start late or who are more than 1 month behind, United States
Source: CDC
Required Vaccines
- Vaccine That May Be Recorded on Immunization Records
- Vaccine That May Be Recorded on Immunization Records
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Pneumococcal Vaccine Requirements
- Pneumococcal Vaccine Requirements for New York State Daycare Entrance/Attendance by Age and Vaccination History:Infants and Toddlers Less Than 2 Years of Age
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Meningococcal Disease
- Meningococcal Flyer for Parents
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Frequently Asked Questions About Meningococcal Disease
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Meningococcal Vaccine Q & A for Healthcare Providers
Source: New York State Department of Health
Public Health Law
Public Health Law Section 2164(7)(a) requires that: “No principal, teacher, owner or person in charge of a school shall permit any child to be admitted to such school, or to attend such school, in excess of fourteen days, without the certificate provided for in subdivision five of this section or some other acceptable evidence of the child’s immunization against poliomyelitis, mumps, measles, diphtheria, rubella, varicella, hepatitis B, tetanus and pertussis and, where applicable, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), meningococcal disease and pneumococcal disease; provided, however, such fourteen day period may be extended to not more than thirty days for an individual student by the appropriate principal, teacher, owner or other person in charge where such student is transferring from out-of-state or from another country and can show a good faith effort to get the necessary certification or other evidence of immunization.”
NYS Public Health Law Section 613 requires licensed and registered day-care programs and schools to post information about the flu and flu vaccine for parents. It’s easy to comply. Just post the NYSDOH’s “Fight Flu at Home and School” publication in your school or facility from early fall through May where it can be easily seen by parents and caregivers.
- Dear Superintendent/Principal/School Nurse Regarding Public Health Law 2164(7)(a)
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Public Health Law Section 2164
Source: New York State Department of Health
- New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR) Title 10, Subpart 66-1
Source: New York State Department of Health
NYSIIS and Health Commerce System (HCS)
NYSIIS is the acronym for the New York State Immunization Information System. NYSIIS is a free, web-based statewide immunization information system, also known as a registry, which maintains computerized immunization data of persons of all ages in a confidential and secure manner.
Schools are authorized to have read-only access for student look up. School users cannot enter or edit data in NYSIIS. However, school based-health centers administering immunizations are considered health care providers and have full access to the system.
Schools will need a Health Commerce System (HCS) account in order to access the New York State Immunization Information System. Many schools already have an HCS account for participation in the Online School Assessment Survey (OSAS).
Schools interested in obtaining an HCS account should send an email to osas@health.ny.gov requesting instructions regarding the HCS account process, or call the Bureau of Immunization, School Unit at (518) 474-1944.
- New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS) Information for School Nurses
- NYSIIS Training Invitation letter and instructions
February 1, 2010
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Health Commerce System (HCS) log in page (Online School Assessment Survey is located on the HCS)
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Health Commerce System Portal Forgot Your Password Quick Reference Guide
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Paperless HCS User Account
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Health Commerce System (HCS) Frequently Asked Questions
Source: New York State Department of Health
Medical Exemptions
Effective June 13, 2019, PHL § 2164 only allows for medical exemptions to school immunization requirements. New York law does not recognize non-medical exemptions. Medical exemptions are defined in PHL § 2164 as: Medical Exemption. If a physician licensed to practice medicine in New York State certifies that an immunization is detrimental to a child’s health, the requirement for that immunization is waived until such immunization is no longer detrimental to the child’s health.
- Immunization-Related Medical Exemptions for School-Aged Children
Source: New York State Department of Health
- The New York State Department of Health Notification of Legislation Removing non-Medical Exemptions to Required Vaccinations
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Medical Exemption Statement for Children 0-18 Years of Age
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Frequently Asked Questions About Legislation Removing Non-Medical Exemptions from School Vaccination Requirements
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Guide to Contraindications and Precautions to Commonly used vaccines
School Immunization Survey
Schools are required to submit the annual mandated immunization survey online. The submission of the immunization status of children attending school in the State of New York is mandated by Public Health Law Section 2164. The survey is housed on the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Health Commerce System(HCS). To access the online survey, school staff members must obtain HCS accounts.
- Dear Superintendent, School Administrator and Health Commerce System Coordinator Letter Regarding the Online School Immunization Survey
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Immunization School Survey Instruction Booklet
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Instructions for Accessing and Completing the School Immunization Survey
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Immunization School Survey Worksheets
Source: New York State Department of Health
Influenza
- Fight Flu at Home and School
Source: New York State Department of Health
- Everyday Preventive Actions That Can Help Fight Germs, Like Flu
Source: CDC
- The Flu: A Guide for Parents (Flu Information)
Source: CDC
- The Flu: A Guide for Parents, Keep your kids safe. Get their flu vaccine every year
Source: NYSDOH
- How to Clean and Disinfect Schools to Help Slow the Spread of Flu
Source: CDC
- Keep Your Kids Safe Get Them Vaccinated Every Fall or Winter
Source: www.immunize.org
- Teaching Children About the Flu – Lesson Plans and Activities for Child Care and Early Childhood Programs
Source: CDC
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Genital HPV Infection – CDC Fact Sheet
Source: CDC
- HPV Vaccine for Preteens and Teens – Fact sheet for parents
Source: CDC
- Human Papillomavirus- A Parent’s Guide to Preteen and Teen HPV Vaccination
- Supplemental Information and Guidance for Vaccination Providers Regarding Use of 9-valent HPV
Source: CDC
Additional Resources
- Vaccine Excipient Summary
Source: CDC
- Foreign Language Terms- Aids to Translating foreign Immunization Records
Source: CDC
- Recommended and Minimum Ages and Intervals Between Doses of Routinely Recommended Vaccines
Source: CDC Pink Book
- New York State Department of Health Immunization Policy on Minimum Intervals
Covid-19 Vaccination Resources for New York State School Districts – Myth V. Fact Videos for Use – Vaccine and Children Myth 3
Instructions: To help the visually impaired, please summarize the videos in your post text on all platforms.
Suggested caption: FACT: Serious side effects are extremely rare, and the benefits of being vaccinated far outweigh the risks.
Covid-19 Vaccination Resources for New York State School Districts – Myth V. Fact Videos for Use – Vaccine and Children Myth 2
Instructions: To help the visually impaired, please summarize the videos in your post text on all platforms.
Suggested caption: FACT: COVID-19 has become one of the top ten causes for hospitalization and death for children and teens.
Covid-19 Vaccination Resources for New York State School Districts – Toolkit Yiddish
The New York State Association of County Health Officials (NYSACHO) is proud to provide your school district an outreach toolkit with messaging that follows the New York State Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health and safety guidelines. This toolkit can be utilized to effectively communicate with families within your school district.
Within this toolkit, you will find:
- Messaging to families in letter and email format that you can simply copy and paste for distribution.
- A child-specific rack card that can be printed through your local print shop and distributed in a timely manner.
- Myth vs Fact Videos
- School District-Specific Video for Use featuring former Chautauqua County Public Health Director, Christine Schuyler, BSN, RN, MHA.
Download the entire toolkit in Yiddish.
Covid-19 Vaccination Resources for New York State School Districts – Toolkit Haitian
The New York State Association of County Health Officials (NYSACHO) is proud to provide your school district an outreach toolkit with messaging that follows the New York State Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health and safety guidelines. This toolkit can be utilized to effectively communicate with families within your school district.
Within this toolkit, you will find:
- Messaging to families in letter and email format that you can simply copy and paste for distribution.
- A child-specific rack card that can be printed through your local print shop and distributed in a timely manner.
- Myth vs Fact Videos
- School District-Specific Video for Use featuring former Chautauqua County Public Health Director, Christine Schuyler, BSN, RN, MHA.
Download the entire toolkit in Haitian.
Covid-19 Vaccination Resources for New York State School Districts – Toolkit Spanish
The New York State Association of County Health Officials (NYSACHO) is proud to provide your school district an outreach toolkit with messaging that follows the New York State Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health and safety guidelines. This toolkit can be utilized to effectively communicate with families within your school district.
Within this toolkit, you will find:
- Messaging to families in letter and email format that you can simply copy and paste for distribution.
- A child-specific rack card that can be printed through your local print shop and distributed in a timely manner.
- Myth vs Fact Videos
- School District-Specific Video for Use featuring former Chautauqua County Public Health Director, Christine Schuyler, BSN, RN, MHA.
Download the entire toolkit in Spanish.
Covid-19 Vaccination Resources for New York State School Districts – Toolkit Chinese
The New York State Association of County Health Officials (NYSACHO) is proud to provide your school district an outreach toolkit with messaging that follows the New York State Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health and safety guidelines. This toolkit can be utilized to effectively communicate with families within your school district.
Within this toolkit, you will find:
- Messaging to families in letter and email format that you can simply copy and paste for distribution.
- A child-specific rack card that can be printed through your local print shop and distributed in a timely manner.
- Myth vs Fact Videos
- School District-Specific Video for Use featuring former Chautauqua County Public Health Director, Christine Schuyler, BSN, RN, MHA.
Download the entire toolkit in Chinese.
Covid-19 Vaccination Resources for New York State School Districts – Myth V. Fact Videos for Use – Vaccine and Children Myth 1
Instructions: To help the visually impaired, please summarize the videos in your post text on all platforms.
Suggested caption: FACT: Scientists and medical experts administered clinical trials involving thousands of children to ensure the vaccines’ safety and effectiveness.
Covid-19 Vaccination Resources for New York State School Districts – Toolkit
The New York State Association of County Health Officials (NYSACHO) is proud to provide your school district an outreach toolkit with messaging that follows the New York State Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health and safety guidelines. This toolkit can be utilized to effectively communicate with families within your school district.
Within this toolkit, you will find:
- Messaging to families in letter and email format that you can simply copy and paste for distribution.
- A child-specific rack card that can be printed through your local print shop and distributed in a timely manner.
- Myth vs Fact Videos
- School District-Specific Video for Use featuring former Chautauqua County Public Health Director, Christine Schuyler, BSN, RN, MHA.
Download the entire toolkit: Covid-19 Vaccination Resources for New York State School Districts – Toolkit
