Revisions to 902 KAR 2:060, the immunization regulation, became effective on June 21, 2017. The regulation requires all children attending child day care centers, certified family childcare homes and other licensed facilities that care for children, preschool programs, and public and private primary and secondary schools to have a current immunization certificate on file. The regulation also spells out the required immunizations schedule for attending those schools, facilities, and programs.
The regulation also applies to all home schooled children who participate in any public or private school activities (classroom, extra curriculum activity, or sports). This provision is designed to promote the public health interest for all children and adults involved. “We are starting to see a rise in cases of measles, mumps, chicken pox, and other diseases that had been previously eliminated within our communities,” said Kentucky Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. Hiram C. Polk, Jr.
Every year, measles and other vaccine preventable diseases are brought into the United States by unvaccinated travelers. “The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kentucky Department for Public Health encourage our families and children to be protected from these diseases”, continued Dr. Polk.
The regulation also provides for a religious exemption from the immunizations. State law requires a written sworn statement for religious exemptions for these immunizations. The regulation eliminates the previous requirement for a doctor’s visit to obtain an exemption. The regulation now allows a parent or guardian to obtain the Commonwealth of Kentucky Parent or Guardian’s Declination on Religious Grounds to Required Immunizations form online. Each immunization is listed on the form and a parent or guardian can choose which immunization the child may or may not receive, sign, and have the form notarized. The completed and notarized declination form shall be submitted at the time of enrollment in a child care facility or school.
New immunization forms are on the websites for the Kentucky Department of Education and the Kentucky Immunization Program at:
http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/epi/Immunization.htm.
http://education.ky.gov/districts/SHS/Pages/Immunization-Information.aspx
For additional information, please refer to the above websites.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS