Child Care Health Program
Immunizations Keep Children Safe and Healthy

Public Health – Seattle & King County is urging families to make sure all children’s immunizations are up to date. The law requires that children have current immunizations before attending a child care program.

“Immunizations are a very safe and effective way to keep our children and communities healthy,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “Outbreaks can disrupt classes and keep children out of school,” said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public health – Seattle & King County. “However, with current immunizations for our school children, outbreaks are preventable.”

Parents or legal guardians have the right to choose not to immunize their children, based on medical, religious or philosophical reasons. Parents or legal guardians must sign the appropriate box on the Certificate of Immunization Status form to exempt their child from receiving vaccines required for child care entry. There are significant risks, however, when choosing against vaccination.

“Delaying vaccinations or not vaccinating puts children and others in the community at increased risk for preventable and potentially serious infections,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Chief of Public Health’s Communicable Disease, Epidemiology and Immunization Section. “In addition to the risk of becoming infected with a vaccine-preventable disease, a child who is not fully immunized may be excluded from attending school or child care during an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease and can spread the infection to others.”

For more facts about vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine safety, the immune system, and how vaccines work, read “Plain Talk about Childhood Immunizations,” an internationally recognized booklet for parents: www.metrokc.gov/health/immunization/childimmunity.htm

For information on immunizations required for child care and immunization clinic sites and call the Public Health Hotline at 206-296-4949 or visit: www.metrokc.gov/health/immunization/school.htm Please remember to bring shot records to the clinic.