Certificate of Immunization

Immediately upon enrollment in the district, a Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS), distributed by the Washington Department of Health, shall be completed by the student’s parent or legal guardian. The certificate shall be made a part of the student’s permanent record.

If, by the student’s first day of enrollment, a student does not have documentation for receipt of any or all of the required immunizations, he/she shall submit evidence of the initiation of an immunization schedule and be placed in a “conditional admittance” status. Students may attend under conditional admittance status for a limited time. The parent or guardian must provide, within thirty (30) days of the student’s first day of attendance, any missing immunization(s) and/or provide documentation needed to complete the CIS. If a student needs additional doses to complete a vaccine series, he/she will remain in conditional admittance status for a maximum of thirty (30) days after the next dose is due until the series is complete.  Failure to submit documentation within these timelines shall be sufficient cause to exclude the student from school.

Exemptions from Immunization

Any and all exemptions will be processed and recorded on a Certificate of Exemption (COE) as distributed by the Washington Department of Health.  Exemptions from one or more vaccines shall be granted for medical reason upon certification by a physician that there is a medical reason for not administering the vaccine.

Exemptions for personal or religious reasons shall be granted in accordance with federal and state laws including the latest Washington State Department of Health Immunization Manual. As of July 28, 2019, personal exemptions are no longer accepted for the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine. The record of students with exemptions shall be easy to identify should the local Department of Health order that exempted students be excluded from school temporarily during an outbreak or an epidemic.

If a certificate of exemption is not received upon the student’s attendance in school, the principal or his or her designee shall provide written notice to the parents or guardians informing them of:

1. The immunization requirements;
2. The denial of the student’s attendance;
3. The procedural due process rights; and
4. The immunization services available.

Exclusion from School

Students may be excluded from school for being out of compliance with immunizations. In addition, in the event of an outbreak of a disease, students and staff may be excluded if they are susceptible to that disease.  In the event of an outbreak, exclusion orders are directed by the Local Health Jurisdiction (as described in the latest Washington State Department of Health Immunization Manual).  The school administrator is, by law, responsible for excluding children from school, preschool, or child care if they do not meet immunization requirements or are susceptible to an outbreak of a disease.

Following proper notification, which includes notice of due process and information on the availability of vaccines, the school may exclude the student for noncompliance with the immunization laws pursuant to the appeal process procedures for student expulsions. Parents or guardians shall have a right to a hearing provided they notify the school within three (3) days after receiving the exclusion order from the school principal. If the parent or guardian requests a hearing, the parent or guardian and school principal shall be notified in writing of the time and place for the hearing and shall present the case to a hearing officer appointed by the Superintendent.  Exclusion records should be maintained for a minimum of three years from the date of exclusion.

See latest Washington State Department of Health Immunization Manual for guidance on exclusion for homeless students as well as required exclusion letters.

Policy Cross References

• 3413 – Student Immunization and Life-Threatening Health Conditions

Revisions

• June 30, 2019
• October 24, 2014

Approved

• December 16, 2011