We are turning the calendar into the new school year. As new families are preparing their kids for the first time in South Dakota it is a requirement by the state that all children have the necessary immunizations.

Sioux Falls School District

Add this to the checklist of things to do before your kids walk through those school doors. Along with which activities are available, do they have the right supplies, and what about lunch options? These may be trivial for some, but all need to be covered.

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Does your child have the required immunizations to attend school in your state? Or, will you ask for an exemption?

State law immunization varies around the country for children attending public schools and those attending private schools and daycare facilities.

As listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), State and local vaccination requirements for daycare and school entry are important tools for maintaining high vaccination coverage rates, and in turn, lower rates of vaccine-preventable diseases.

South Dakota - Requirements for a child entering Kindergarten and 6th grade, and for first-time students must have the following adequate immunizations against poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, rubeola (measles), rubella, mumps, tetanus, meningitis and varicella (chickenpox).

Minnesota - All students enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12 to show they have received certain immunizations or an exemption. Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP), Polio, Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), Hepatitis B (Hep B), Varicella (chickenpox)

Iowa - School-aged children are required to be vaccinated for Tetanus, Diphtheria, Hepatitis-B, Polio, Measles, Rubella, Varicella (Chicken Pox). Older children may need to receive the Meningococcal vaccine as well.

Immunization Exemptions
All school immunization laws grant exemptions to children for medical reasons. There are 44 states and Washington D.C. that grant religious exemptions for people who have religious objections to immunizations.