2023 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 10 - Education and Culture
Chapter 169 - School Health and Sanitation
Section 10-204a. - Required immunizations. Temporary waiver.

(a) Each local or regional board of education, or similar body governing a nonpublic school or schools, shall require each child to be protected by adequate immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, haemophilus influenzae type B and any other vaccine required by the schedule for active immunization adopted pursuant to section 19a-7f before being permitted to enroll in any program operated by a public or nonpublic school under its jurisdiction. Before being permitted to enter seventh grade, a child shall receive a second immunization against measles. Any such child who (1) presents a certificate from a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse or local health agency stating that initial immunizations have been given to such child and additional immunizations are in process (A) under guidelines and schedules specified by the Commissioner of Public Health, or (B) in the case of a child enrolled in a preschool program or other prekindergarten program who, prior to April 28, 2021, was exempt from the appropriate provisions of this section upon presentation of a statement that such immunizations would be contrary to the religious beliefs of such child or the parents or guardian of such child, as such additional immunizations are recommended, in a written declaration, in a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health, for such child by a physician, a physician assistant or an advanced practice registered nurse; or (2) presents a certificate, in a form prescribed by the commissioner pursuant to section 19a-7a, from a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse stating that in the opinion of such physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse such immunization is medically contraindicated because of the physical condition of such child; or (3) in the case of measles, mumps or rubella, presents a certificate from a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse or from the director of health in such child's present or previous town of residence, stating that the child has had a confirmed case of such disease; or (4) in the case of haemophilus influenzae type B has passed such child's fifth birthday; or (5) in the case of pertussis, has passed such child's sixth birthday, shall be exempt from the appropriate provisions of this section. The statement described in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be acknowledged, in accordance with the provisions of sections 1-32, 1-34 and 1-35, by a judge of a court of record or a family support magistrate, a clerk or deputy clerk of a court having a seal, a town clerk, a notary public, a justice of the peace, an attorney admitted to the bar of this state, or notwithstanding any provision of chapter 6, a school nurse.

(b) The immunization requirements provided for in subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to any child who is enrolled in kindergarten through twelfth grade on or before April 28, 2021, if such child presented a statement, prior to April 28, 2021, from the parents or guardian of such child that such immunization is contrary to the religious beliefs of such child or the parents or guardian of such child, and such statement was acknowledged, in accordance with the provisions of sections 1-32, 1-34 and 1-35, by (1) a judge of a court of record or a family support magistrate, (2) a clerk or deputy clerk of a court having a seal, (3) a town clerk, (4) a notary public, (5) a justice of the peace, (6) an attorney admitted to the bar of this state, or (7) notwithstanding any provision of chapter 6, a school nurse.

(c) Any child who is enrolled in a preschool program or other prekindergarten program prior to April 28, 2021, who presented a statement, prior to April 28, 2021, from the parents or guardian of such child that the immunization is contrary to the religious beliefs of such child or the parents or guardian of such child, which statement was acknowledged, in accordance with the provisions of sections 1-32, 1-34 and 1-35, by (1) a judge of a court of record or a family support magistrate, (2) a clerk or deputy clerk of a court having a seal, (3) a town clerk, (4) a notary public, (5) a justice of the peace, (6) an attorney admitted to the bar of this state, or (7) notwithstanding any provision of chapter 6, a school nurse, but did not present a written declaration from a physician, a physician assistant or an advanced practice registered nurse stating that additional immunizations are in process as recommended by such physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, rather than as recommended under guidelines and schedules specified by the Commissioner of Public Health, shall comply with the immunization requirements provided for in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section on or before September 1, 2022, or not later than fourteen days after transferring to a program operated by a public or nonpublic school under the jurisdiction of a local or regional board of education or similar body governing a nonpublic school or schools, whichever is later.

(d) If the parents or guardian of any child are unable to pay for any immunization required by subsection (a) of this section, the expense of such immunization shall, on the recommendation of such child's local or regional board of education, or similar body governing a nonpublic school or schools, be paid by the town.

(e) The definitions of adequate immunization shall reflect the schedule for active immunization adopted pursuant to section 19a-7f and be established by regulation adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 by the Commissioner of Public Health, who shall also be responsible for providing procedures under which such boards and such similar governing bodies shall collect and report immunization data on each child to the Department of Public Health for (1) compilation and analysis by the department, and (2) release by the department of annual immunization rates for each public and nonpublic school in the state, provided such immunization data may not contain information that identifies a specific individual.

(f) The Commissioner of Public Health may issue a temporary waiver to the schedule for active immunization for any vaccine if the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes a nation-wide shortage of supply for such vaccine.

(1959, P.A. 588, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 42, S. 1; P.A. 73-510, S. 1, 2; P.A. 77-52, S. 1; P.A. 78-165, S. 1, 5; 78-218, S. 131; P.A. 81-139; P.A. 84-46; P.A. 91-327, S. 3, 8; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-244, S. 16, 63; P.A. 98-252, S. 39, 80; P.A. 11-242, S. 13; P.A. 15-174, S. 1; 15-242, S. 68; P.A. 21-6, S. 1.)

History: 1969 act allowed board of education to require measles immunization unless child entering school is certified to have had measles; P.A. 73-510 made measles immunization requirement mandatory by substituting “shall” for “may” but retained optional aspect re board's requiring polio vaccination and added Subsec. (b) re effective date; P.A. 77-52 included rubella in mandatory immunization provision and deleted Subsec. (b); P.A. 78-165 replaced former provisions with new requirements for various vaccinations and conditions under which exceptions allowed, applicable to local and regional boards of education and governing bodies of nonpublic schools; P.A. 78-218 was not enacted because P.A. 78-165 took precedence; P.A. 81-139 amended Subsec. (a) to require immunization against mumps; P.A. 84-46 amended Subsec. (a) to delete the exemption from rubella immunizations for any child who has passed his twelfth birthday or who presents a doctor's certificate stating that immunization is medically contraindicated; P.A. 91-327 added hemophilus influenzae type B and any other vaccine required by the department of health services to the mandatory immunization provisions and required a second immunization against measles before seventh grade, effective September 1, 1992; P.A. 93-381 replaced department and commissioner of health services with department and commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-244 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 98-252 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision for the town to pay for the cost of immunizations if parents are unable to pay, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 11-242 amended Subsec. (a) by adding physician assistant and advanced practice registered nurse as persons who may issue certificates re immunizations and added Subsec. (c) re authority of Commissioner of Public Health to issue a temporary waiver to the schedule for active immunization; P.A. 15-174 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re acknowledgment of required statement and add Subparas. (A) to (F) re individuals to so acknowledge in Subdiv. (3) and to add provision re annual presentment of statement that immunization requirements are contrary to religious beliefs in order to remain enrolled in a program operated by public or nonpublic school, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-242 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subpara. (G) re school nurse, replacing “In order to remain enrolled in a program operated by a public or nonpublic school” with “Before being permitted to enter seventh grade” and deleting requirement that statement be presented annually, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 21-6 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subpara. (A) designator in Subdiv. (1), adding Subdiv. (1)(B) re children enrolled in preschool or other prekindergarten program who were exempt on religious grounds prior to April 28, 2021, adding reference to form prescribed by commissioner in Subdiv. (2), deleting existing Subdiv. (3) re religious exemption, redesignating existing Subdivs. (4) to (6) as Subdivs. (3) to (5), deleting provisions re payment of expense of immunization for those unable to pay and presentation of statement to school prior to entering grade 7 re immunization requirements being contrary to religious beliefs, adding provisions re acknowledgment of statement, and making technical changes, added new Subsec. (b) re religious exemption for certain children enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12, added new Subsec. (c) re religious exemption for children enrolled in a preschool or other prekindergarten program, added Subsec. (d) re payment of expense of immunization for those unable to pay, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (e) and amended same by adding Subdiv. (1) designator and Subdiv. (2) re release by department of annual immunization rates for schools, and making technical changes, and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (f), effective April 28, 2021.