Varivax (Chickenpox)

Tdap (Tetanus Toxoids, Diptheria and Acellular Pertussis)

New York State Law mandates that all students entering sixth grade as of September 1, 2007, must have received the Tdap vaccine. The key points regarding the requirement of the law and its implementation are:

• Students who are entering sixth grade or a comparable age-level special education school or program on or after September 1, 2007, and who are 11 years of age or older must receive an immunization containing tetanus toxoids, diptheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap).
• If a student has received a Td, DT or DTaP vaccination within the last two years, the student's Tdap vaccination should be deferred (with rare exceptions) until a period of two years has elapsed.
• 10-year-old students who are entering sixth grade will not be required to receive a Tdap vaccine, and will not be excluded from school, but they must be flagged, tracked and immunized when they turn 11 years old.

Children who will be 10 years old when entering sixth grade:

There are two Tdap vaccines available, Sanofi Pasteur's Adacel, which is licensed for persons aged 11 to 65 years, and Glaxo-Smith-Kline's Boostrix, which is licensed for persons aged 10 to 18 years. There are two options available regarding 10-year-old children who are entering sixth grade:

• Vaccinate those children using Boostrix, or
• Delay vaccination until those children are 11 years old. Children whose vaccination with Tdap has been delayed will be considered "in process" for receiving the required immunization. They will not be excluded from school, but they will be flagged and tracked. It is required that they receive the immunization once they turn 11 years old.

Please call your family physician, Schenectady County Public Health Clinic (346-2187) or Schalmont Middle School nurse (355-6255, x2062) if you have any questions.

Varivax (Chickenpox)

New York State Law mandates that all students entering sixth grade as of September 1, 2005, must have received the Varivax vaccine or physician documented chickenpox by the start of sixth grade. This means no student entering sixth grade will be allowed to start school in September without the written proof of having completed the Varivax vaccine or physician documented chickenpox disease. State law requires that we cannot accept a parent note. It must be from your child's physician.

Please call your family physician, Schenectady County Public Health Clinic (346-2187) or Schalmont Middle School nurse (355-6255, x2062) if you have any questions.