State Vaccination Requirements

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates and licenses all vaccines to ensure safety and effectiveness. No federal vaccination laws exist, but all 50 states require certain vaccinations for children entering public schools. Depending on the state, children must be vaccinated against some or all of the following diseases: mumps, measles, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and polio.

State Vaccination Requirements

• Database of State Immunization Laws for Healthcare Workers and Patients
  This tool contains results from a 50-state legislative review of laws requiring assessment of vaccination status and vaccine administration for healthcare workers and patients/residents. The review was conducted by CDC in 2005 and collected data on laws for the following types of facilities: hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, individual providers' practices, correctional facilities, and facilities for the developmentally disabled.

School Entry Requirements -- By State or By Disease

• Childcare and school vaccination requirements
  This tool provides state vaccination requirements, state exemptions, and links to state web sites reporting requirements.
• Immunization requirements, by disease
  Lists vaccine-preventable diseases, and then shows state mandates (prenatal, daycare, childcare, kindergarten, elementary, secondary, K-12, colleges and universities, long-term care facilities) on immunization requirements
  Immunization Action Coalition (IAC)
• See also:
  • CDC Feature Story:
    School is Starting—Make Sure Your Children are Fully Vaccinated
  • MMWR articles on Vaccination Coverage Among Children Entering School
  • School and Childcare Vaccination Surveys
    Results for childcare, kindergarten, and middle school