Vaccinations for School and Childcare

NYC Vaccine Requirements

Make sure your kids have all required vaccines before school starts.

All NYC students ages 2 months to 18 years old must receive certain vaccinations. That includes children in public, private, charter, and parochial school, as well as those in daycare, Head Start, pre-K, 2K, and nursery school. Any child who does not meet these requirements will be sent home from school or childcare.

The only children who do not require vaccination are those with medical exemptions. There are no religious exemptions for vaccination requirements in New York.

Visit your healthcare provider before school starts to get your child vaccinated. If you need help finding a healthcare provider for your child, call 311 or visit NYC Health + Hospitals. You can also visit the NYC Health Department Immunization Clinic. Services are available regardless of immigration or insurance status.

Get answers to your questions about vaccines:

Vaccines protect your child’s health and the health of other children at their school.

Vaccine Requirements

Even if your child had all their required vaccines last year, you should check if they need additional vaccines this year.

Vaccination schedules can be complex. For some vaccines, the number of doses needed depends on when your child began receiving vaccines and how many doses of a vaccine they have already had. If your child is catching up on vaccines, they will be on a different vaccine schedule than children who received vaccines as babies.

If you are unsure about your child's vaccination status, talk to your healthcare provider.

Information for Parents: Immunization Requirements for NYC Schools

Flu Vaccine for Childcare

Between July 1 and December 31, all children ages 6 months to 59 months old must receive one dose of flu vaccine if they attend daycare, Head Start, pre-K, 2K, or nursery school.

Other Recommend Vaccines

There are other vaccines that are recommended for children but are not required for school attendance. This includes annual COVID-19 and flu vaccine, and the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine which is recommended for children starting at age 9 to protect them from cancers caused by HPV.

Talk to your healthcare provider about these and other vaccines that are recommended to keep your kids healthy and prevent serious illness.

To find pharmacies and other sites offering COVID-19 and flu vaccine to children, visit the NYC Health Map and filter by “Ages Served”, 17 and younger.

NYC Health Map

Additional Resources