Immunization and Physical Requirements for School Entrance 

PRE-SCHOOL: All students entering pre-school must provide proof of a physical examination in the current school year and must have documentation of up to date Immunizations for pre-school. This documentation must be on the State of Tennessee Official immunization form that is available from your immunization provider or the health department. Both the physical and immunizations can be documented on the same form and the form must be complete with signature of health care provider. Failure to provide documentation will delay entry in school. 

KINDERGARTEN: All students entering kindergarten must provide proof of a physical examination in the current school year and must have documentation of up to date immunizations for kindergarten. This documentation must be on the State of Tennessee Official Immunization form that is available from your immunization provider or the Health Department. Students who attended pre-k in GCSSD will not need another physical. Both the physical and immunizations can be documented on the same form and the form must be complete with signature of health care provider. Failure to provide documentation will delay entry in school and will result in unexcused absences. 

7th GRADE: All students entering 7th grade must provide an up to date State of Tennessee Official Immunization form that shows that they have received two Varicella (chicken pox) vaccines, or documentation of having had the disease, and an up to date TDap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis vaccine). Failure to provide an up to date Tennessee Immunization Record may result in a student being sent home and absences will be counted as unexcused until immunization records are complete. 

Tennessee Department of Health Immunization Requirements 

School immunization requirements can be found at Tennessee Department of Health rules. 

All immunizations for children attending child care, pre-school, and school must be documented on the Official TN Immunization Certificate Sample. This certificate is available in local health departments and at many medical offices in Tennessee. 

A brief summary of the required immunizations for childcare facilities and schools are listed below. 

Pre-School, Pre-Kindergarten 

Pre-Kindergarten students must be up to date on the required immunizations for their age. 

  • Hepatitis B (HBV) 

  • Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, or DT if appropriate) 

  • Poliomyelitis (IPV or OPV) 

  • Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) - age younger than 5 years only 

  • Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) - age younger than 5 years only 

  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella - 1 dose of each, normally given together as MMR 

  • Varicella - 1 dose or credible history of disease 

  • Hepatitis A - 1 dose, required by 18 months of age or older 

Children Enrolling in Kindergarten 

  • Hepatitis B (HBV) 

  • Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, or DT if appropriate) 

  • Poliomyelitis (IPV or OPV) - final dose on or after the 4th birthday 

  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella - 2 doses of each, usually given together as MMR 

  • Varicella - 2 doses or credible history of disease 

  • Hepatitis A - total of 2 doses, spaced at least 6 - 18 months apart 

All Children Entering 7th Grade (Including Currently Enrolled Students) 

  • Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster (Tdap) - evidence of one Tdap dose given any time before 7th grade entry is required regardless of Td history 

  • Varicella - 2 doses or credible history of disease 

Children Who Are New Enrollees in A TN School In Grades Other Than Kindergarten 

  • Hepatitis B (HBV) 

  • Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTaP, or DT if appropriate) 

  • Poliomyelitis (IPV or OPV - final dose on or after the 4th birthday 

  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella - 2 doses of each, normally given together as MMR 

  • Varicella - 2 doses or credible history of disease 

  • New students entering grades other than 7th grade are not required to have Tdap 

Children With Medical or Religious Exemption to Requirements 

  • Medical - Physicians (MD or DO) or Public Health Nurses are authorized to indicate specific vaccines medically exempted (because of risk of harm) on the certificate. Other vaccines remain required. The medical reason for the exemption does not need to be provided. 

  • Religious - This exemption requires a signed statement by the parent/guardian that vaccination conflicts with their religious tenets or practices. If the child needs documentation of a health examination for the school, it must be noted by the healthcare provider on the immunization certificate. In that case, the provider should check the box in section 1a. that the parent has sought a religious exemption to explain why immunization information is absent or incomplete. 

 

Minimum age or dose intervals - Tennessee follows published CDC guidelines. For vaccines with critical minimum age/time requirements (e.g., MMR, varicella, hepatitis b), doses administered more than 4 days early are considered invalid and should be repeated as recommended.  

Alternative proof of immunity for certain diseases - A positive serology (year of test documented) is acceptable as an alternative to immunization for measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B or varicella. For varicella, documentation of provider diagnosed varicella or provider-verified credible history of disease given by a parent or guardian also is acceptable. By documenting a history of the disease, the provider is asserting that he or she is convinced that the child has had chickenpox. 

This information is located at: https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/immunization-program/ip/immunization-requirements.html 

Religious Exemption Form