Immunization Information for Medical Providers
California School Immunization Law
Childhood Vaccines
Routine primary childhood vaccines are administered at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 15 months of age. For children who begin their immunizations late, follow minimum intervals for vaccination to bring them up-to-date in a timely manner. All providers should understand true vaccine contraindications to avoid missed immunization opportunities.
- Childhood Immunization schedule
- Childhood vaccination catch-up schedules and contraindication information
- Medical care providers are eligible for free, federally funded vaccines for uninsured and lower income families’ children through the Vaccines For Children Program (VFC) at (510) 704-3750
Adolescent Vaccines
- Adolescent Immunization Schedule
- CDC recommends that children ages 11-12, be immunized with the meningococcal conjugate vaccine. They recommend vaccination for the next 2-3 years for teens entering high school as well as college freshmen who will be living in dormitories.
- As of July 1, 2011, California law requires all students entering 7th grade to show proof of a pertussis (whooping cough) booster shot, known as Tdap before starting school. Other vaccines may also be generally indicated for some adolescents.
- Beginning on January 1, 2012, a new California law (known as AB 499) expands the legal authority of minors 12 years and older to consent to confidential medical services for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) without their parents’ consent. Click here to download the fact sheet for more information.
Adult Vaccines
- Adult Immunization Schedule
- Vaccine recommendations for specific populations.
- Programs that provide free vaccines to local public health centers and private and nonprofit organizations. Contact the Adult Vaccine Program at (415) 554-2955 for more information on the Influenza Vaccine Program and Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B Vaccine Program.
- Programs that provide low cost vaccines to San Francisco residents
Rules and Regulations
- Vaccine information statements (VIS) are required to be given to a patient or guardian prior to the administration of any vaccine. Individuals should be given time to read the statement and ask questions as needed. Multiple language versions are available for most vaccines.
- Reporting is required for certain events following vaccine administration. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, VAERS, requests suspected adverse event/reaction be reported to 1(800) 822-7967.
- Beginning on January 1, 2012, a new California law (known as AB 499) expands the legal authority of minors 12 years and older to consent to confidential medical services for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) without their parents’ consent. Click here to download the fact sheet for more information.
School and Childcare Laws
California school and childcare rules and regulations govern admittance into childcare and kindergarten.
The new immunization law requires all students entering into 7th grade to show proof of a pertussis (whooping cough) booster shot, known as Tdap before the start of school each Fall.
These requirements apply to millions of students in California. Please utilize every opportunity to provide a Tdap booster shot to adolescents and adults (7 years and older) who haven’t yet received it. Updates on implementing this new law and information on pertussis are posted at http://shotsforschool.org/laws/.
The California Immunization Registry, also known as CAIR is directly accessed by many schools to check student immunization records. We encourage you to join CAIR to help meet the new Tdap booster shot requirement.
Vaccine Materials
- Order free immunization materials through The San Francisco Department of Public Health.
- Vaccine fact sheets
Useful Vaccine Links
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) pink book. An excellent reference of up-to-date vaccine information for medical professionals.
- Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Recommendations and indications for pediatric and adult vaccine use.
- American Academy of Pediatrics Red Book. An excellent source of immunization information, vaccine preventable disease advice, and guidelines.
- Low-cost hepatitis vaccinating and testing sites in San Francisco
Please call the San Francisco Department of Public Health Communicable Disease Prevention Unit with any questions. Call (415) 554-2955.
Are your vaccines protecting your patients?
- Maintain proper temperatures. Always keep refrigerator temperatures between 36°F and 46°F (2°C to 8°C), and freezer temperatures at 5°F (-15°C) or lower.
- Use the right kind of vaccine storage unit. Avoid using dormitory or bar style units, which cannot be relied upon to maintain even temperatures.
- Use a digital data logger (DDL) and check temperatures twice daily. Make sure your DDL is calibrated, has a glycol-encased probe, a MIN/MAX setting, and an alarm that sounds when the storage unit temperature goes out of range. Store the glycol probe of your backup DDL in the unit so that it is acclimated to your storage unit temperature and can be quickly deployed if needed.
- Position vaccines properly in the storage unit. Never store vaccines in the door, drawers, or bins. Instead, store them in porous containers 2-3 inches from walls, air vents, and floors to allow for air circulation. Keep them in original packaging until administered. Never store food or beverages in the same unit. Though not preferable, if medications and other biologics must be stored in the same unit, they should be kept on a lower shelf to avoid contamination if a spill were to occur.
- In the event of a temperature excursion, immediately take action. If your storage unit has a mechanical problem, fix it as quickly as possible and consider moving vaccines to a temperature-stable unit if necessary. If a power failure occurs, move vaccines to a temperature-stable unit until power is restored. If the back-up unit is inaccessible or also experiencing a power outage, do not remove your vaccines from their primary unit and keep the unit door closed. Call the vaccine manufacturers to verify that the vaccines are still viable.
- Follow these guidelines for safely transporting refrigerated and frozen vaccines.
For more in-depth vaccine storage and handling recommendations, review these helpful resources:
- CDC’s Storage and Handling Toolkit
- California Department of Public Health’s online 20 minute training, “Storing Vaccines”
- Immunization Action Coalition’s tools