Back to School: Immunizations Required for Illinois Students

Find out what you need to know about immunizations for Illinois K-12 students

Requirements vary based on what grade your child is entering, and deadlines vary based on your district. Here’s what you’ll need to know about immunizations to make sure your child is ready for the 2025-26 school year.

Illinois state law says that the latest possible deadline a school district may set for submitting a student’s required immunization records is Oct. 15. However, some area districts require that students going into Pre-K, kindergarten, grades 6 and 12 must submit updated immunization records by an earlier deadline. Check your district’s policies to be sure your child will be allowed into the classroom.

All students who are new to an Illinois district in any grade will be required to provide complete immunization records.

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After Sept. 1, 2025, Champaign Unit 4 students not in compliance with state immunization requirements will not be allowed to attend school.
Urbana School District 116 requires immunization requirements for students be satisfied at the start of the school year or students will not be allowed to enter school.

Vaccination Requirements

The State of Illinois requires vaccinations to protect children from a variety of diseases in order to enter public or private school. At age-appropriate times, students must show proof of immunization against chickenpox, diphtheria, Hepatitis B, Hib, measles, meningitis, mumps, pertussis, polio, pneumococcal disease, rubella, and tetanus. The number and schedule of these vaccinations depend on a student’s grade and age.

Note that these are minimum requirements; your child’s pediatrician and the Center for Disease Control may recommend your child receive vaccines that do not appear on this list.

More information about immunization requirements for Illinois, including the number of required doses and their timing, can be found here. A summary of State of Illinois immunization requirements by grade follows:

Pre-K/Kindergarten: Immunization records that reflect the following, with required number/spacing of doses

Tetanus/Diptheria/Pertussis (DTP or DTaP)
Polio
MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
(Hepatitis B – required for preK only? check with physician)
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
Varicella (chicken pox)
Pneumococcal series

Grade 6: Immunizations as per requirements listed above, plus

Hepatitis B (if not previously received)
Tdap booster
one dose Meningococcal vaccine

Grade 12: Immunizations as per grade 6 requirements listed above, plus

2 doses Meningococcal Vaccine with the second after age 16 (only one dose required if the first dose was received after the age of 16)

Exemptions to vaccination requirements

Religious: Parents/Guardians requesting religious exemptions from health requirements must complete the required form along with their child’s healthcare provider.
Medical: If your child has a physical condition that prevents adherence to the vaccination schedule, their healthcare provider should indicate this on a physical examination form or in written documentation. Depending on your child’s medical condition, this may need to be reviewed on an annual basis.

Vaccinations and community health

The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, run by the CDC and administered through approved providers nationwide, helps provide vaccines to children whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them. This program covers the minimum immunizations required for K-12 students by the State of Illinois as well as some optional vaccines such as those for rotavirus, influenza or COVID-19. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is an approved provider for VFC.