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Immunization Requirements

Certificate of Immunization

No child shall be admitted to Bulloch County Schools unless the child has submitted a certificate of immunization. The Georgia Certificate of Immunization (form 3231) is a form provided by the Georgia Department of Human Resources. It is issued by a physician licensed under the laws of Georgia or by a local board of health (Health Department).

The principal or superintendent of schools may grant a 30-calendar-day waiver of the immunization certificate when documentation is provided by physician or the Health Department that the immunizations are in process. A 30-calendar-day waiver may also be granted to allow the parent/guardian to obtain an affidavit of religious exemption. If the child withdraws from school and later re-enrolls, the parent/guardian is not granted another 30 days to obtain a certificate or affidavit.

A certificate for a child who is in the process of receiving all required vaccines must have a date of expiration that related to the date the next required immunization is due or the date on which a medical exemption must be reviewed. A new certificate must then be obtained and submitted to the school or facility within 30 days after expiration date. Children whose parents fail to renew said certificates within the time allotted shall not be permitted to continue in attendance.

Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella Vaccines

  • For entrance into grade six in Georgia schools, a child must have a total of two (2) measles containing vaccines administered on or after the child’s first birthday and at least thirty (30) days apart. 
  • For entrance into grade six in Georgia Schools, a child must have two (2) doses of Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine on or after the first
    birthday or two (2) doses (administered a minimum of 28 days apart) if the first dose was given at 13 years or older.
  • Requirements for the hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccines may be waived with serologic proof of immunity. Requirements for varicella vaccine may be waived also with history of medical diagnosis of disease or parent or guardian description
    of disease that has been interpreted as valid by the certifying authority.
  • The principal or superintendent of schools may grant a maximum of 90-calendar-day waiver with the documentation provided by the physician or the Health Department:
    • Specifying that an immunization sequence has been started and that this immunization time schedule can be completed within the 90-day waiver period;
    • Provided confirmation is received during the waiver period from the Health Department or physician that immunizations are being received as scheduled; and
    • Provided the student under waiver is a transfer student (moves to Georgia from another state) or a student entering kindergarten or first grade from out of state. The waiver may not be extended beyond 90 calendar days; and upon expiration of the waiver, the child shall not be permitted to attend school unless the child submits a certificate of immunization.

Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis (Tdap) & Meningococcal Conjugate (MCV4) 

  • Effective July 1, 2014, all children born on or after January 1, 2002, or new entrants into a Georgia school system are required to have at least one dose of Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis (Tdap).
  • Effective July 1, 2020, children 16 years-of-age and older who are entering the 11th grade, including new entrants, must have received one booster dose of Meningococcal Conjugate vaccine (MCV4), unless their initial dose was administered on or after their 14th birthday.

Immunization Exemptions

Georgia law allows for two types of exemptions from the immunization requirements: Medical or religious.

  • A medical exemption must be recorded on Form 3231 by the certifying physician. This exemption requires a yearly recertification by the physician. 
  • If parent/legal guardian objects to immunization of the child on the grounds of religious beliefs, the parent/guardian must furnish a notarized affidavit which certifies that the immunization requirement conflicts with the religious beliefs.Immunization may be required by the system should a disease be in an epidemic stage in the school/system.

During an epidemic or a threatened epidemic of any disease preventable by an immunization required by the Department of Human Resources, children who have not been immunized may be excluded from the school until (1) they are immunized against the disease unless they present valid evidence of prior disease, or (2) the epidemic or threat no longer constitutes a significant health danger. 

Students Transferring from Another State or Country

Out of state students must meet all requirements for Georgia Immunization and the documentation must be provided on the Georgia Certificate of Immunization Form as provided by Rule 290-5-4-.04, or a Certificate of Immunization indicating medical exemption as provided by Rule 290-5-4.05. Code Section Code 20-2-771 & Chapter 290-5-4 (Rules of DHR & PH)