Colorado Recommended and Required Vaccines

For parents/guardians of students in Colorado kindergarten – 12th grade schools for the 2023-24 school year

We know you’re thinking of all the things you need to do to make sure your student is ready for school. Getting vaccinated is an important part of their school readiness and keeps children from catching and spreading diseases that can make them sick and potentially disrupt in-person learning. We wish you and your student a healthy school year!

Required and recommended vaccines

Colorado law requires students who attend a public, private, or parochial kindergarten - 12th grade school to be vaccinated against many of the diseases that vaccines can prevent, unless a Certificate of Exemption is filed. For more information, visit CDPHE's school-required vaccines page. Your student must be vaccinated against:

• Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP, DTP, Tdap)

• Hepatitis B (Hep B)

• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)

• Polio (IPV)

• Varicella (chickenpox)

Colorado follows recommendations set by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Prior to starting Kindergarten, students must receive their final doses of DTaP, IPV, MMR, and varicella. Prior to starting 6th grade, students must receive one dose of Tdap vaccine prior to entry, even if they are younger than 11-years-old. You can view CDC recommended vaccine schedules on the CDC website.

Vaccines are recommended for hepatitis A, influenza, meningococcal disease, and human papillomavirus, but are not required for school entry.

Exclusion from school

Your student may be excluded from school if your school does not have an up-to-date Certificate of Immunization, Certificate of Exemption, or in-process plan on file for your student.

If someone gets sick with a vaccine-preventable disease or there is an outbreak at your student’s school and your student has not received the vaccine for that disease, they may be excluded from school activities. That could mean lost learning time for them and lost work and wages for you. For example, if your student has not received a MMR vaccine, they may be excluded from school for 21 days after someone gets sick with measles.

Have questions?

Talk with a healthcare provider licensed to give vaccines or your local public health agency (LPHA) about which vaccines your student needs or if you have questions.

You can find a vaccine provider at cdphe.colorado.gov/immunizations/get-vaccinated.

You can read about the safety and importance of vaccines at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/FAQs.html, childvaccineco.org, ImmunizeForGood.com, and cdphe.colorado.gov/immunization-education

Staying up to date on routine immunizations is important for adults, as well as children. We encourage parents and guardians to find out what vaccines might be due. It's never too late for families to get back on track! Learn more about vaccines for adults at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/index.html.

Paying for vaccinations

If you need help finding free or low-cost vaccines and providers who give them, the CDPHE can help you find a provider. You can also contact your Local Public Health Agency, or call the Mile High Family Health Line at 303-692-2229 or 1-800-688-7777 to ask about Medicaid contact information and health clinics in your area.

Vaccination records

Share your student’s updated Certificate of Immunization with their school every time they receive a vaccine.

Need to find your student’s vaccine record? It may be available from the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS). Visit the CDPHE Immunization Records webpage for more information, including directions for how to use the CIIS Public Portal to view and print your student’s vaccine record.

Exemptions

If your student cannot get vaccines because of medical reasons, you must submit a Certificate of Medical Exemption to your school, signed by a physician (MD, DO), advanced practice nurse (APN), or delegated physician assistant (PA). You only need to submit this certificate once, unless your student’s school or information changes. You can get the form at on the CDPHE's Vaccine Exemption page.

If you choose not to have your student vaccinated according to Colorado’s school vaccine requirements for reasons that are nonmedical, you must submit a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption to your school. Nonmedical exemptions must be submitted annually at every new school year (July 1 through June 30). There are two ways to file a nonmedical exemption.

• File the Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption WITH the signature from an immunizing provider in Colorado who is a physician (MD, DO), advanced practice nurse (APN), delegated physician’s assistant (PA), registered nurse (RN), or pharmacist licensed in Colorado; OR
• which you will be able to access upon completion of the state’s online immunization education module.

Downloadable certificates and a link to the online education module are available at cdphe.colorado.gov/vaccine-exemptions.

How’s your school doing on vaccinations?

Some parents, especially those with students who have weakened immune systems, may want to know which schools have the highest percent of vaccinated students. Schools must report immunization and exemption numbers (but not student names or birth dates) to the state health department annually. Schools do not control their specific immunization and exemption rates or establish the Vaccinated Children Standard described in §25-4-911, CRS. Schools must include their MMR immunization and exemption rates from the most recently completed school year in this letter. Schools may choose to also include immunization and exemption rates for other school-required vaccines. Additional immunization and exemption rates can be found on the CDPHE's Immunization Data page..