Catch-Up/Alternative Schedules
For children who are on alternative schedules or require catch-up schedules due to missed immunizations, we are happy to discuss this with you during a visit and help provide guidance on how to proceed with immunizations safely. We offer immunization-only appointments as often as needed, in between routine care appointments, which allow alternative schedules to be carried out in an easy manner.
Regarding Catch-Up Plans for School Entry/Continued Attendance:
Please Note: Alternative schedules can be as spaced as you wish them to be. However, if a “catch-up” plan is needed for a child to enter childcare/school facilities, we are unable to provide plans that do not comply with current guidelines and laws regarding the immunization entry requirements, as anything outside of those guidelines would fall under the strict temporary/permanent medical exemption guidelines which are outlined below. If a school will not admit a child due to a missing immunization, as long as it is medically safe to administer the immunization, we are unable to delay the required immunization. Although, if the school is flexible with you, it is your choice to delay and work with them (outside of amending any catch-up plans that have already been submitted).
We have been informed that schools should not require letters for registration/continued admission for any patients who are complying with the current CA guidelines/intervals. However, we have been made aware this information is not universally understood so we will continue to provide catch-up plans to provide to the school until this matter is sorted. As mentioned above, catch-up plans require patient compliance for the school to continue to accept the original letter as valid. We will provide the first catch-up plan free of charge. If letters need to be amended due to patient non-compliance each additional amendment will require a re-write fee of $20. Each letter requires detailed and individualized calculations of dates and intervals personalized to each patient and require significant time and effort from our staff. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.
Immunization Entry Requirements:
California law currently requires the following immunization series for school entry:
- DTaP/Tdap
- IPV
- Hepatitis B
- MMR
- VZV
- Hib (for Childcare Facilities/PreK) – at least 1 dose administered after the age of 1
Children must have begun each series to be conditionally admitted and must follow the current guidelines for subsequent doses. These guidelines can be found here:
https://eziz.org/assets/docs/IMM-231.pdf (K-12)
https://eziz.org/assets/docs/IMM-230.pdf (PreK/Childcare Facilities)
***If you are wanting to prove immunity by drawing lab titers, we can order those labs for you during your visit, however it is up the school whether they accept this as proof of immunity and allow the child to be admitted without proof of vaccination.
Additional resources for Immunization Entry Requirements can be found here: https://eziz.org/assets/docs/IMM-230.pdf
