Immunizations & Screening

General Information

All students entering or attending Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grades are required to have a valid Georgia Certificate of Immunization Form 3231, issued by a licensed Georgia physician, or qualified employee of the local Health Department or the State Immunization Office. The students must have been immunized against those diseases as so specified by the Georgia Department of Human Resources. Parents/guardians are responsible for seeing that their children are properly immunized in accordance with Georgia law. For further immunization information, visit the Georgia Department of Human Resources website at http://dph.georgia.gov/immunization-section

Georgia's immunization requirements for children attending seventh grade have been revised to align with the current Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Effective July 1, 2014, all children born on or after January 1, and children who are new entrants into a Georgia school in grades eight through twelve, must have received one dose of Tdap vaccine and one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine.

Effective July 1, 2020, children 16 years of age and older who are entering the 11th grade (including new entrants) must have received one booster dose of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4), unless their initial dose was administered on or after their 16th birthday.

Please note, the student’s name on the Georgia Immunization Certificate must match the name on their birth certificate. Immunization forms are considered invalid if the names do not match.

The only exemption for any vaccine is Medical Exemption or Religious Objection. The Medical Exemption must be renewed each year and signed by a physician. The Religious Objection must be documented, by parent or guardian, on “The Religious Objections to Required Immunizations Form 2208. This form may be obtained at your child’s school, or by visiting the Georgia Department of Public Health website. The form must be notarized and does not have to be renewed.

Your student must have the updated immunizations, unless he/she has an exemption. Students without a valid immunization certificate (or valid exemption) on file may be withdrawn from school until a valid form is provided. If you have any questions about vaccinations, please contact your student’s health care provider. The vaccine and the appropriate form are both available at your healthcare provider’s office and the Columbus Health Department.

Parents of students without health insurance or those whose health plan does not cover these vaccines, may call the Columbus Health Department at 706-321-6300 and ask about getting no or low cost vaccines through the Vaccines for Children program. For more information on the vaccination requirements for school attendance in Georgia, visit dph.georgia.gov.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states: “On-time vaccination throughout childhood is essential because it helps provide immunity before children are exposed to potentially life-threatening disease. Vaccines are tested to ensure that they are safe and effective for children to receive at the recommended ages.” For more information on vaccinations, and the diseases they help prevent, visit cdc.gov/vaccines.

Each new student is also required to have a Georgia Form 3300 Eye Ear Dental and Nutritional Screening form upon entry Pre- K - 12. This testing can be done by your health care provider or the Columbus Health Department.

For additional information on school entry requirements, please visit the Georgia Department of Public Health website .