The Department of Health has changed school immunization regulations as of August 2017. The regulations are intended to ensure that children attending school in the commonwealth are adequately protected against potential outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

The Montgomery County Office of Public Health (OPH) has compiled a list of resources that school nurses can utilize to assist them with ensuring their students are up-to-date on their vaccinations by the first day of school.

RESOURCES

Algorithm 
Algorithm 2 (Grades 7 - 12)
CDC Recommended Immunization Schedules for HCPs
Certificate of Immunizations 
Frequently Asked Questions
Immunization Materials Order Form

Medical Certificate 

Memorandum For: Healthcare Providers in Montgomery County
PADOH School Immunizations
PA State Law and Regulations
Required Vaccinations for School (En Espanol)
Sample Letter to Parents
School Immunization Rates
School Immunization Regulation Procedure Manual
School Vaccination Requirement Fact Sheet (En Espanol) 
School Vaccination for School Nurses 

RELIABLE SOURCES OF IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION

The “Pink Book”. The 13th Edition Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, a.k.a. the "Pink Book," provides physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and others with the most comprehensive information on routinely used vaccines and the diseases they prevent. Six appendices contain a wealth of reference materials including: vaccine minimum ages and intervals, current and discontinued vaccines, vaccine contents, foreign vaccine terms, and more. 

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Timely immunizations for parents.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Vaccine safety resources are available for both parents and health care professionals.  

Immunization Action Coalition: Information about immunizations, including links to Web sites, phone numbers, and books.                        
Immunization Action Coalition - Vaccine Information: This site includes a question and answer section for vaccine preventable diseases, immunization information for infants, children, and adults, a collection of "Unprotected People" stories, and more. 

Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS): National vaccine safety surveillance program co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  

Reporting a suspected or confirmed case of a vaccine-preventable disease

To report a suspected or confirmed case of a vaccine-preventable disease, please contact the OPH’s Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention at 610-278-5117. Reports are required for diseases that affect school-age children and/or the staff and faculty of a school.  Reporting should occur for the following: measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis, varicella, haemophilus influenzae invasive disease, tetanus, diphtheria, and lab-confirmed influenza. At the time of the disease report, the OPH staff will provide recommendations to the school based on information obtained during the investigation (e.g. exclusion of an individual from school and activities, review of immunization records to identify susceptible persons and notification to the school community). Each event is unique therefore guidance is not shared in advance. It is necessary for public health officials to always confirm disease first and then provide recommendations that are tailored to control and prevent disease. There are many factors which determine the appropriate preventative measures which may include disease education, isolation, quarantine and social distancing among other strategies.