All school-age children, from preschoolers to college students, need vaccines. Vaccines are a highly effective, safe and easy way to help ensure your child’s long-term health, as well as the health of friends, classmates and others in your community. Like putting on a seat belt even if you don’t expect to be in an accident, it is always better to prevent a disease with vaccines than to treat it after the disease occurs.
Explore a guide on recommended vaccines, from infancy to adulthood.
Vaccines strengthen your baby’s immune system, which is its main defense against disease. There are thousands of germs in your child’s everyday environment, whether they spend time at daycare, pre-schools, or at home. Sticking to a vaccination schedule protects infants and children by providing immunity early in life, before they are exposed to 16 potentially life-threatening diseases.
Getting every dose of every recommended vaccines provides the best protection possible. Take this quiz to see what vaccines your child needs.
School Requirements
The State of Georgia requires children to have certain immunizations to attend public school. This includes all children attending day care, kindergarteners, rising 7th graders, rising 11th graders, and those transferring into the state or from a home/private school. The child must also be screened for vision, hearing, dental and nutrition and provide Form 3300 before entering a Georgia school for the first time. District 4 can provide these screenings and Form 3300 (see Services below).
Pre-kindergarten, childcare, Head Start program, or nursery enrollment:
Within 30 days of enrollment, parents must provide Form 3231 (sample form) to certify the child has received the recommended immunizations for their age.
Rising 7th-graders:
Must receive tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) and meningococcal (meningitis) vaccines prior to entering school.
Rising 11th-graders:
Must receive the meningococcal booster shot (MCV4), unless their first dose was received on or after their 16th birthday.
Rising College Students:
Please contact your school for information on their immunization requirements.
More details on school immunization requirements.
Services
Thanks to vaccines, most of these once-prevalent diseases are now nearly unheard of in the United States. All Northeast Health District’s clinics provide vaccinations for:
- Chickenpox
- Diphtheria
- Influenza (flu)
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hib
- HPV
- Measles
- Meningococcal
- Mumps
- Pneumococcal
- Polio
- Rotavirus
- Rubella
- Tetanus
- Whopping Cough (Pertussis)
Click below to find out what vaccines are needed based on your child’s age.
The Northeast Health District’s health department clinics also provide vision, hearing, dental, and nutrition screenings for Georgia Form 3300 and scoliosis screenings for Form 4400.
