School Immunizations

The Minnesota Department of Health has adopted new immunization laws that went into effect in the fall of 2019. Pine Island School students, including incoming kindergartners, 7th and 12th graders must meet these state requirements or have an exemption on file. Students that do not meet these requirements will not be able to attend the first day of school.

We are providing our parents and guardians with the information and time to get their child’s shot records current. Fall will be here before we know it and ultimately it is the responsibility of parents and guardians to ensure their students will not miss any classes because a shot record is not up to date.

Immunizations that have been added to mandatory state immunization laws include:

Varicella Vaccine
**Effective on September 1, 2010, for children enrolling in kindergarten and seventh grade, Minnesota schools can no longer accept a parent/guardian's signature as proof that a child has had the chickenpox. We are now required to get a doctor's signature stating the child has already had the disease, have a medical reason for not getting the vaccine, or that the child is already immune to chickenpox. Space is provided on the back of this form for the physician's signature.
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Minnesota law requires that all children get vaccinated against certain diseases or have a legal exemption on file to enroll in school. New to students entering 12th grade for the 2020-2021 school year need to have documentation of vaccination administration or a legal exemption for the booster dose of meningococcal vaccine (Most children received the initial dose of this vaccine when they entered 7th grade).

Meningococcal Booster *** NEW Fall 2019***
Teenagers and young adults are at higher risk for meningococcal disease. This dose is important to make sure they are fully protected through their highest-risk years.

Please schedule an appointment with your child’s health care provider to get this vaccine, or get a legal exemption before school starts in the fall for any student entering the 12th grade. Ask your health care provider if you are eligible to receive free or low-cost vaccinations if you are concerned about costs.

For a current copy of your teen’s vaccination record, call the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) at 651-201-3980 or your primary care provider.

For more information on meningococcal disease, go to Meningococcal Disease Basics (www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/meningococcal/basics.html) on the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) website.

If you need exemption information, the Immunization Form (www.health.state.mn.us/people/immunize/basics/imzform.pdf) is available on the MDH website.

Please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have about this new required vaccination for your student this fall.


For more information or to check your child's immunization status contact your primary care provider.