• The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) requires that ALL students,11 years and older, entering the 6th grade at the start of the 2025-2026 school year to have a Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis) vaccine or current religious or medical exemption on file.  The law does not apply to students who will not be 11 years old entering the 6th grade on August 4, 2025.

    If your child has reached or will soon reach his/her 11th birthday, I’d like to encourage you to please make an appointment with your child’s healthcare provider for a well visit to discuss the required and recommended immunizations. The healthcare provider should produce an updated Certificate of Immunization (COI) at that time to give to your school nurse when completed.  (Your local Health Department can also provide the needed immunizations and updated records.) A valid COI must have the Alabama state seal in the background and must not be handwritten.

    In order to avoid any disruption in attendance, documentation of the TDaP vaccine (or religious/medical exemption) should be brought to the school nurse by August 1, 2025.

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,

    Becky Tucker, BSN, RN, NCSN

    MCS System Supervising Nurse
    Comments (-1)