DOH Institutes New Immunization Requirements

New vaccination requirements are being instituted for seventh-grade students at all Hawai‘i schools at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health has launched a media campaign to educate parents about the new immunizations. Through a partnership with the Hawai‘i Association of Broadcasters, television and radio public education announcements will air throughout the year.

Additionally, parents of current sixth-grade students will receive an information sheet through their child’s current school. Hawai‘i residents can expect to see campaign ads in MidWeek and other local publications. Posters will also be distributed to schools and healthcare provider offices statewide.

Before the first day of school, all seventh-grade students must provide documentation of having received the following vaccines or risk being excluded:

• Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis vaccine)
• HPV (human papillomavirus vaccine)
• MCV (meningococcal conjugate vaccine)

One dose each of Tdap and MCV vaccines and two doses of HPV vaccine, given six months apart, are required for all students entering seventh grade, the DOH press release states. Parents of current sixth-grade students are encouraged to contact their healthcare provider to schedule the first HPV vaccination as soon as possible so that the second dose can be administered before the new school year begins.

For more information about the campaign and new school immunization requirements, visit www.VaxToSchoolHawaii.com.