As K-12 students return to school this fall, it’s important that they are up-to-date on their routine immunizations. Vaccination throughout childhood and adolescence helps provide immunity against diseases and illnesses, like the flu, measles, COVID-19, and more. Vaccinated students also help protect their fellow school community members from getting sick.

Most schools and childcare facilities require children to receive several vaccines. If you’re a resident of North Carolina, view this list of required immunizations for K-12 students from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS). Residents of other states should look to their state’s vaccination requirements for students.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, many children fell behind on their routine vaccinations – but it’s not too late to catch up! The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides a schedule of routine and recommended vaccinations by age. This resource provides details on each vaccine a child needs, from before birth through 18 years old. The CDC also has an online child and adolescent vaccine assessment tool that can help identify what vaccines your child needs for protection.

The ABC Science Collaborative wishes all students, teachers, and school staff a happy and healthy 2023-2024 school year and encourages families to review their vaccine records and catch up as needed.