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School Immunization Requirements Texas. Texas school immunization requirements are straightforward in principle: your child must be fully vaccinated against a defined list of serious diseases to enroll and stay enrolled in public or private school, from pre K through 12th grade. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) updates these requirements periodically, and for the 2025–2026 school year, the core vaccine list and most dose patterns are unchanged, with Hepatitis A now clearly required through 12th grade.
This guide is written for intent—not just keywords—so you can quickly answer: “Is my child ready for school?” and “What do I do if we’re behind?”
Which Vaccines Does My Child Need to Attend School in Texas? What are the core required vaccines for K–12? For Texas public and private schools, students must show acceptable evidence of vaccination against:
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP/DT/Td/Tdap)
Polio (IPV)
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis A
Varicella (chickenpox)
Meningococcal (MCV4), beginning in the teen years
The exact number of doses and timing depend on your child’s age and grade level, but the state “minimum requirements” chart is the gold standard schools follow.
How many doses are usually required by elementary school? Typical minimums by the time a child enters kindergarten include:
DTaP: usually 5 doses (or 4 if the 4th was at age 4 or older).
Polio (IPV): usually 4 doses (or 3 if the 3rd was at age 4 or older).
MMR: 2 doses, first on or after the first birthday.
Varicella: 2 doses, with documentation of disease history accepted as an alternative in many cases.
Hepatitis B: 3 dose series completed.
Hepatitis A: 2 doses, starting at age 1.
For middle and high school, booster doses of Tdap and a meningococcal vaccine dose are required.
What Changed or Matters Most for the 2025–2026 School Year? Are there new vaccines added for 2025–2026? There is no new disease added to the required list for K–12, but the state continues to clarify and standardize requirements across grades.
One key point parents sometimes miss:
The two dose Hepatitis A requirement now clearly applies to Kindergarten through 12th grade as part of the minimum state requirements.
In practice, most pediatric practices have already been giving Hepatitis A on schedule, but if your child missed early well visits, this is a common gap to check.
How do COVID 19 vaccines fit into Texas school requirements? As of the current 2025–2026 guidance, Texas does not list COVID 19 vaccination as a mandatory requirement for general K–12 school entry statewide, although COVID 19 vaccines remain part of the recommended schedule for children and adolescents.
Individual health systems or colleges may have separate policies, so always confirm if your older teen is transitioning to higher education or certain programs.
What If My Child Is Missing Doses or Starting Late? Can my child still start school if not fully vaccinated? Yes, in some cases—under provisional enrollment.
A student may be enrolled provisionally if:
They have received at least one dose of each required vaccine in every series that is due, and
They are not overdue for subsequent doses according to the official schedule.
Schools must review the student’s status every 30 days and can exclude the child if follow up doses are not received on time.
What if we’re far behind or just moved to Texas? Steps that show responsibility and protect your child:
Bring all immunization records (including from other states or countries) to your pediatrician or local health department.
Ask for a catch up schedule based on the Texas minimums and CDC guidance.
Start whatever series you can now to qualify for provisional enrollment while completing the rest.
Are There Medical or Other Exemptions in Texas? When is a medical exemption allowed? Texas law allows physicians to write a medical exemption when a vaccine is medically contraindicated or would be harmful to the child or a household member.
Key points:
Exemption must be written and signed by a licensed physician (MD or DO).
It must specify which vaccine(s) are contraindicated and whether the condition is temporary or lifelong.
Unless the physician states the condition is lifelong, the exemption is valid for only one year from the date signed.
What about non-medical exemptions? Texas also allows exemptions for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs, using an official affidavit requested from the state.
Parents choosing this path must:
Obtain the official form from DSHS.
Complete it exactly as instructed.
Submit it to the school on time, understanding that unimmunized children may be excluded during outbreaks.
How Should Parents Use the 2025–2026 Immunization Schedule? Where can I find the official schedule and minimum requirements? For the most accurate, up to date information, parents should rely on:
The Texas DSHS immunization schedules page for birth–18 recommendations.
The official Texas Minimum State Vaccine Requirements for Students Grades PK–12 PDF for the current or upcoming school year.
Many districts and pediatric practices repost these documents on their own websites, but the DSHS source documents are the benchmarks schools must follow.
How do I translate the charts into a simple action plan? To stay compliant and avoid last minute surprises:
Start early: Review requirements in spring or early summer, not the week before school.
Match each vaccine series (DTaP, IPV, MMR, Varicella, Hep A, Hep B, Meningococcal) against your child’s record.
Schedule catch up visits if any series is incomplete or off schedule.
Keep printed or digital copies of your child’s immunization record for enrollment, sports, and camp.
Working with your pediatrician to review the state chart together is often the fastest way to confirm that every box is checked.
Older Information That Still Applies in 2026 Several core principles about Texas school immunization requirements remain unchanged and reliable, even as PDFs and revision dates update:
Texas Education Code Chapter 38 authorizes DSHS to set statewide school immunization rules, and schools must follow those minimums for public and private K–12 students.
Required vaccines continue to include DTaP/Tdap, Polio, MMR, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, Varicella, and Meningococcal, with dose counts and timing based on grade and age.
Provisional enrollment is still allowed only when at least one dose of each due vaccine has been given and the student is not overdue for follow ups, with the school reviewing status every 30 days and excluding students who fall out of compliance.
Medical exemptions and conscientious exemptions remain available under Texas law, but each has formal documentation requirements and does not remove the school’s responsibility to protect students during disease outbreaks.
By pairing these long standing rules with the latest 2025–2026 schedule and close partnership with your child’s healthcare provider, you can navigate Texas school immunization requirements confidently, avoid enrollment delays, and keep your child—and their classmates—better protected.
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