Back-to-school vaccines are required by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services statewide, and the agency decides which vaccines to require based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control.
Summit County Health Director Phil Bondurant invites residents to reach out to the health department for more information.
The department’s goal is to keep preventable diseases in Summit County at bay. Bondurant said viruses like polio and measles have spiked in places where vaccination rates declined.
“We're starting to see some of these childhood preventable diseases pop up, not only in children, but in adults as well,” the health director said.
Summit County has no reported measles or polio cases, and vaccines will help it stay that way, he said.
So schools need written proof of certain vaccines.
Kindergartners have the longest list. They need the DTaP, MMR, polio, chickenpox and hepatitis A and B vaccines.
The next check-up is in seventh grade. Those children need to have had a Tdap booster and meningococcal vaccine, in addition to those required before kindergarten.
Flu and COVID-19 shots aren’t required by law, but they are recommended. State health officials also recommend seventh graders receive the HPV vaccine. Click here for a handout detailing additional requirements for pre-school and early childhood programs.
All the required vaccines are available at the Summit County Health Department offices in Park City, Kamas and Coalville.
“There's different tracks and different strategies to accomplish all of those vaccinations, from the moment of birth clear up until a child is ready to attend kindergarten,” Bondurant said. “So we can work through that process to make sure families understand the risks and have all the information they need to make the best decision possible for them and their children.”
To learn more or claim an exemption, contact the Summit County Health Department at (435) 333-1500. You can also visit summitcountyhealth.org or immunize.utah.gov.
