State Departments Propose New Immunization Regulations
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The State Departments of Health and Education have proposed new regulations that would impact all school kids.
The new rule would cover the timetable on when children must be vaccinated, and they add a couple of new immunizations that children must receive their senior year of high school.
When it comes to the timetable, officials want to require students to receive their final dose of necessary vaccines within the first five days of school.
Currently, students can attend school for up to eight months while they complete all their required immunizations. Officials want to get rid of that eight-month window because they say during that time, children can become infected and potentially spread a disease to others.
The other proposed change affects teenagers who are entering the 12th grade. They would now be required to get two new vaccines: a pertussis vaccine and a meningococcal vaccine.
The new rules would apply to children in public, private, parochial and other schools, including vo-tech, cyber and charter schools. It could take nine months for the proposed regulations to be approved.
For more information visit the state Health Department's website here.
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