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Vaccines for child cares/early learning

Vaccines for child cares/early learning

The Childhood Immunizations Toolkit is available for child care and early learning providers in Washington. This Toolkit is available in English, Chinese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese on the Infant Child and Adolescent Immunizations webpage. It includes:

  • Information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent
  • Information about child care and school vaccination requirements
  • Sample responses to common concerns about vaccination
  • Tips for communicating with vaccine hesitant families
  • Additional resources

Vaccine requirements

Children attending child care are required to be vaccinated or show proof of acquired immunity against the following vaccine-preventable diseases:

  • Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTaP/DT)
  • Polio (IPV)
  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) until age 5
  • Varicella (Chickenpox)
  • Pneumococcal bacteria (PCV) until age 5

Children entering child care or preschool must get the required doses to be in compliance with immunization requirements (PDF):

A child may begin attending a child care or early learning program ONLY IF:

  • They get all the required vaccine doses they are eligible to receive, AND
  • The parent/guardian has submitted a Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) form on or before the first day of attendance to provide proof of vaccination or immunity from certain vaccine preventable diseases.
    • Children without a CIS should not start child care until it has been completed and provided to the program.

What is a valid Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS)?

A valid CIS from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Immunization Information System (IIS) can be obtained several ways:

  • A licensed health care provider can print and sign a copy of the child's CIS
  • A parent/guardian can print a CIS by signing up with MyIR.
  • Families can complete the CIS form themselves, however they must attach all vaccination records from their child's health care provider. 
    • The child care/early learning program administrator must confirm that the information on the CIS matches the child's vaccination records.
    • The CIS must be signed by the parent and program administrator. 
  • A parent/guardian can request a copy of their child's CIS from the DOH Office of Immunization by calling 360-236-3595 or 1-866-397-0337, or emailing: WAIISRecords@doh.wa.gov 

Families can ask their school to print out a CIS form. Not all schools can do this, so make sure to ask ahead of time.

Need support?

If child care or early learning programs have questions about immunization requirements or reporting, reach out to OISchools@doh.wa.gov

Additional resources are available on DOH's Schools and Child Care Immunization webpage, including vaccine requirements, sample letters to parents, susceptibility tracking sheets, and conditional status attendance.

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