River Forest Public Schools - District 90

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) has notified school districts that new rules on immunizations for middle and high school students have just been approved. Under the new rules, all students entering sixth grade must show proof of having received one dose of the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccine, regardless of the interval since his or her last DTaP, DT, or Td dose.  Additionally, students entering seventh through twelfth grade who have not already received Tdap are required to receive one Tdap dose regardless of the interval since the last DTaP, DT, or Td dose.

Note that there is a difference between Tdap and DTaP. While both vaccines contain inactivated forms of disease, DTaP is aimed at giving children under age 7 immunity to diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (better known as whooping cough). Tdap, on the other hand, is a booster immunization that has a reduced dose of the diphtheria and pertussis vaccines; its purpose is to offer continued protection from the three diseases for adolescents starting at the age of 11 or 12 and adults through age 64.   

Many middle and high school students may need an updated immunization in order to comply with the revised rules. Please check with your child’s physician to determine whether your child has received the appropriate immunization. Proof of immunization must be given to the school nurse prior to the start of the 2012-2013 school year; you may submit that documentation now for next school year.

To download a PDF with the IDHS rules on diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus immunization, click here. Please note that although the rules state that proof of Tdap was required for the 2011-2012 school year, the rules were only just approved and therefore were not in force during the current year.