Immunizations

All students, new and returning, must complete their immunization requirements or have an exemption affidavit filed at their campus. The health services staff at your campus will be able to review your students’ immunization records and offer you locations to obtain immunizations, if they are needed.

Texas Minimum Immunization Requirements

A student shall show acceptable evidence of vaccination prior to entry, attendance, or transfer to a child-care facility or public or private elementary or secondary school in Texas.

Texas Department of State Health Services:

Exemption Information

Texas Department of Health Services – Exemption Information

Requesting an Exemption for Reasons of Conscience:

To claim an exclusion for reasons of conscience, including a religious belief, the child’s parent, legal guardian, or a student 18 years of age or older must present to the school or child-care facility a completed, signed and notarized affidavit in Texas on a form provided by the department stating that the child’s parent, legal guardian, or the student declines vaccinations for reasons of conscience, including because of the person’s religious beliefs.

The affidavit will be valid for a two-year period from the date of notarization. A child or student who has not received the required immunizations for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs, may be excluded from school in times of emergency or epidemic declared by the commissioner of the department.

Please note the Notary needs to be registered to notarize in Texas on the approved Exemption Affidavit which is only valid for 2 years. After 2 years you will need to request for another Exemption Affidavit from the Texas Department of Health and complete the process again.

How to Obtain an Affidavit:

    • Send completed form by Fax: to 512-776-7544

 

Please turn in the completed original Exemption Affidavit to your child’s Nurse at their attending school.

 

Exemptions for Medical Reasons:

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) considers vaccines to be very safe and encourages all Texans to be vaccinated according to the ACIP recommended schedule. DSHS recognizes, however, that for a small number of people, there may be valid medical reasons for which they cannot receive certain vaccines. For school and childcare attendance, the state allows for medical exemptions to accommodate these individuals. Schools and childcare facilities should accept medical exemptions that are signed by a US-licensed MD or DO and clearly state a medical reason the person cannot receive specific vaccines. Unless the exemption states a lifelong condition, the exemption is only valid for one year.

Provisional Enrollment

What is provisional enrollment?
Provisional enrollment is a component of the rules adopted by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) for the minimum immunization requirements for school entry. Provisional enrollment allows a student meeting certain specific criteria to be admitted to school on a temporary basis for up to 30 days. During this 30-day period, the parent is responsible for ensuring that the student receives the necessary vaccine(s) as fast as is medically feasible, and/or providing a complete and current immunization record to the school. Texas schools are also responsible for ensuring that immunization records are sent to requesting Texas schools within the 30-day period.

What specific circumstances must a child fall under to qualify for provisional enrollment?
Provisional enrollment allows a student to enroll in school under the following situations:

1. Transfer Students
Students transferring from one Texas public or private school to another can be enrolled provisionally for no more than 30 days while awaiting the transfer of the immunization record.

2. Homeless Students
Students who are defined as homeless according to the federal McKinney-Vento Act, 42 U.S.C. §11434a can be admitted provisionally for 30 days if acceptable evidence of vaccination is not available. The school shall promptly refer the student to appropriate public health programs to obtain the required vaccinations.

3. Students In-Progress
Students who have received at least one dose of each specified age-appropriate vaccine required by the DSHS rules. To remain enrolled, students must complete the required subsequent doses of each vaccine series on schedule and as rapidly as is medically feasible and provide acceptable evidence of vaccination to the school. A school nurse or school administrator shall review the immunization status of a provisionally enrolled student every 30 days to ensure continued compliance in completing the required doses of vaccination. If, at the end of the 30-day period, a student has not received a subsequent dose of vaccine, the student is not in compliance and the school shall exclude the student from school attendance until the required dose(s) is (are) administered.

4. Military Dependents
A dependent of a person who is on active duty with the armed forces of the United States can be enrolled provisionally for no more than 30 days if he/she transfers from one school to another and is awaiting the transfer of the immunization record.

Can a child without an immunization record be enrolled provisionally if they are not homeless, are not transferring from a Texas school or are not progressing towards obtaining immunizations as fast as is medically feasible?

No. The child must obtain the first doses of the required vaccines and then they can be admitted provisionally as long as they are progressing towards receiving the remaining required vaccines as fast as is medically feasible.

Documentation

Since many types of personal immunization records are in use, any document will be acceptable provided a physician or public health personnel has validated it. Validation includes the child’s name, child’s date of birth, Physician’s signature, initials, or stamp. An immunization record generated from an electronic health record must include clinic contact information and the provider’s signature/stamp, along with the vaccine name and vaccination date (month, day, and year). An official record generated from a health authority is acceptable. An official record received from school officials, including a record from another state is acceptable.

Health and Immunization Clinic Resources/Information

The following is a list of resources for families who need vaccinations/health information:

Health and Immunizations Clinic Resources

How to Obtain a Copy of Immunization Record
  • Contact your campus Nurse during the school year to obtain your child’s immunization record. Additional information will be requested for parent verification.
  • Contact your child’s Pediatrician office for your child’s immunization record.
  • Texas Department of State Health Services ImmTrac2, the Texas Immunization Registry. Benefits of Enrolling in the Texas Immunization Registry. Makes it easy to keep up with family’s immunization records.
Immunization Record Request during summer months

Round Rock ISD will only release immunization records to a parent/guardian listed on the student’s parents/guardians contact information. Please note that Round Rock ISD closes every Friday and the last 2 weeks of June. Please allow up to 48 hours to process your request.

Any student that is 18 years of age or older will need to make the request.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

My child had the shots you say he/she is missing. Didn’t the doctor’s office send it to you?
No. Your doctor’s office does not send your student’s health information to the school. When your child gets their vaccinations, please ask for a copy and bring it to your campus clinic.
I do not want my child getting the required vaccines, is there a paper I can sign?

Yes. You must apply for an affidavit from the Texas Department of State Health Services website. All forms are mailed to you. Affidavits must be notarized (including the parent signature and the vaccines exempt for your student) and turned in to the campus clinic. These affidavits expire every two years and can take 7-10 days to arrive. Please plan accordingly.

Don’t you check the state immunization registry (immtrac)?
Yes. We check immtrac whenever possible. Parents must opt in to the state registry for immunizations, which is done through your physician’s office. We do not input data into the state registry, so we cannot guarantee it has the most current information. Please continue to provide your individual student’s immunization records to the campus clinic.
My child has an appointment for their vaccinations on exclusion day or the day after exclusion day. Can they come to school until the appointment?
If you can provide proof of an appointment, please communicate with your student’s campus nurse for next steps.
Do you all notify parents when shots are due for our children?
Yes. We notify families via email, mail, telephone, and by sending letters with your student. Please make sure your home and email addresses, as well as phone numbers, are up to date in the school system. You can update those with the campus registrar.
Why do you care if I vaccinate my child?
The Texas Administrative Code, Title 25 Health Services, §§97.61-97.72 sets the minimum standards for school immunization requirements. All Texas schools and child-care facilities must follow these requirements.
For medical reasons, my child cannot receive the vaccines that are required. What should I do?
Talk with your physician. If your physician feels the vaccines are medically contradicted, then the physician can write a medical exemption. The medical exemption is valid for 1 year, unless the physician writes it as a lifelong exemption. The physician’s written exemption must be turned into the school clinic.
My child has practice before school. Can they attend practice and go home before school starts?
No. They cannot attend any school related functions, UIL events or ride the bus, starting the day of exclusion. This remains in effect until updated immunization information is delivered to the school clinic.