With the school year about to begin, it is useful to review the New York City Department of Health’s requirements for school children. By law, all “new” students—children entering day care, nursery, pre-school and kindergarten through grade 12 in NYC for the first time (not those who graduate or transfer to another NYC school)—must have a complete medical evaluation. All pre-kindergarten or younger children must also have vision and hearing screening as well as a blood lead test. New students who enter the school system in secondary schools (intermediate school or higher) must have a tuberculin skin test.

The law also has requirements for vaccination before entering the school system. All youngsters born after 1999, who are at least a year old, must have received at least one dose of chickenpox vaccine in order to attend day care, nursery or pre-school. Starting this school year, every student in the 7th, 8th or 9th grade must have had the full series (two or three doses depending on the formulation) of hepatitis B vaccine. For full compliance with Department of Health rules, vaccination against the various childhood diseases is necessary. These immunizations vary somewhat with the age of the student. Day care and pre-kindergarten students should receive the prescribed courses of DTP (diphtheria
–tetanus–pertussis), poliovirus, MMR (measles–
mumps–rubella), Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), hepatitis B and varicella (chickenpox). For older students, vaccines are prescribed as appropriate for their age.

New students may enter school provisionally without full compliance with the immunization requirements with generally an initial dose of each vaccine. However, they must complete the vaccinations within a designated time or exclusion from school is mandated. Parents should consult their child’s pediatrician for immunization and health care. For more information about referral to physicians and clinics in their neighborhoods, parents can call 1-(800) 325-2445, anytime. Health insurance is available for most uninsured children under age 19 in New York City under Child Health Plus, 1-(888) NYC-6116.#