Vaccinations for School and Day Care - NYC Health

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Vaccinations for School and Day Care

Vaccines protect the health of your child and the other children at their school.

All NYC students ages 2 months to 18 years must receive certain vaccinations. That includes children in public, private or parochial school, as well as those in day care, Head Start, pre-K or nursery school. Any child who does not meet these requirements will be sent home from school.

The only children who do not require vaccination are those with medical exemptions. There are no religious exemptions for vaccination requirements in New York.

Visit your health care provider before school starts to get your child vaccinated. You can find a health care provider who can vaccinate your child by searching the NYC Health Map or calling 311.

NYC Health Map

Learn more about the City’s vaccine requirements and their importance for your children’s health.

Vaccine Requirements

Even if your child had all their required vaccines last year, you should check if they need additional vaccines this year.

Vaccination requirements can be complex. For some vaccines, the number of doses needed depends on when your child began receiving vaccines and how many doses of a vaccine they have already had. If your child is catching up on vaccines, they will be on a different vaccine schedule than children who received vaccines as babies.

If you are unsure about your child's vaccination status, talk to your health care provider.

Information for Parents: Required Vaccinations in NYC Schools

Flu Vaccine

Between July 1 and December 31, all children ages 6 months to 59 months must receive one dose of flu vaccine if they attend day care, Head Start, pre-K or nursery school.

Additional Resources

New York State: School Vaccination Requirements

More Information

Vaccine-Preventable Childhood Diseases

Immunization Clinics

Request a Vaccine Record

Communicable Diseases