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Influenza (Flu) Vaccine

Dear Parents,

This is to inform you that the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) mandates that all children 6 through 59 months of age attending any licensed child care center or preschool facility (including pre-kindergarten) receive at least one dose of influenza (flu) vaccine between September 1 and December 31 of each year (N.J.A.C. 8:57-4.19).

The following bullet points may assist you with the interpretation of the flu vaccination requirement:

  • Children who get vaccinated with the seasonal flu vaccine prior to September 1 will be considered compliant as long as the vaccine is for the current flu season.
  • Students who have not received the flu vaccine by December 31 must be excluded from school for the duration of influenza season (through March 31), until they receive at least one dose of the flu vaccine or until they turn 60 months of age (5 years old).
  • Valid medical and religious exemptions are acceptable.  Students who have valid medical and religious exemptions are allowed to remain in school.  Please note that schools must have documentation of exemptions on file and they need to be available at the time of a local health department immunization audit.
  • Students enrolled after December 31 must provide documentation that they received the current flu vaccine prior to entering school.
  • Those children turning six months of age after December 31 must also receive the current flu vaccine.
  • Although students enrolling in school after March 31 are not required to get vaccinated against flu, getting a flu vaccine even late in the season is still protective.
  • For more information, please visit: http://nj.gov/health/cd/documents/vaccine_qa.pdf

Compliance is mandatory.  In order to avoid exclusion from school, you are encouraged to have your child vaccinated as soon as possible.  Once your child has received the influenza vaccine, please send in documentation of receipt so that we may update our health records.  Thank you.