NY School Vaccines: What Parents Need to Know

Here’s a summary of the vaccine requirements and rates for students in New York, based on the provided⁤ text:

Vaccine Requirements:

Students‍ in public, private, and religious schools must be immunized against preventable diseases like ⁣measles, chickenpox, whooping cough, and polio, based on their grade level. Proof of ⁤vaccination is required within 14 days of the start of ⁢school/daycare each fall, unless a medical exemption is provided.
Students new ⁤to New York State/Country may have a grace period of up ‍to 30 days.
‍ New York State eliminated religious exemptions for vaccinations in 2019.

Kindergarten Vaccine Coverage:

New York has among the strictest school vaccination laws in ⁣the country.
97.8% of New York kindergartners received the MMR vaccine, exceeding the 95% threshold for herd immunity.
Only 0.3% of⁣ kindergartners claimed any vaccine exemption last school year (up from 0.1% the ⁢previous year).
Nationally, vaccine coverage ‍among kindergartners decreased, and exemptions increased, but New York remained strong.

Vaccination Rates⁣ for Younger Children (2-year-olds):

Vaccination rates for 2-year-olds have been trending upward in recent years.
95% of 2-year-olds citywide received at least one dose of‍ the MMR vaccine in the last year (up from 87%⁣ in 2020).
Rates vary considerably by neighborhood; for example, only 58% of 2-year-olds in Central harlem (ZIP code 10039) received at‍ least one dose of the MMR vaccine. Disruptions to routine medical care during the pandemic negatively impacted vaccination‍ rates, but rates are now recovering.