State and local vaccination requirements for child care and school entry are important tools for maintaining high vaccination coverage rates, and in turn, lower rates of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Wyo. Stat. § 21-4-309 and the Wyoming Immunization Rules establish the immunization requirements for children attending Wyoming private or public child caring facilities, preschools, or schools (K-12), full or part time. All person attending a Wyoming public or private school, child care facility, or preschool, shall within thirty (30) calendar days of entry, provide documentary proof of immunization.
There are no statutes that govern immunization requirements for Wyoming colleges; therefore, the information and processes described below do not apply.
Immunization Requirements
Children attending a public or private school, preschool, Head Start or child caring facility must be vaccinated against the following diseases based on their age:
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Diphtheria
- Hepatitis B
- Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b)
- Measles
- Mumps
- Pneumococcal
- Polio (Poliomyelitis)
- Rotavirus
- Rubella
- Tetanus
- Pertussis
Many of the vaccines that protect against the diseases listed above are available in combination vaccines which reduces the number of shots needed.
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DTap and dTap combine these vaccines: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
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MMR combines these vaccines: measles, mumps, and rubella.
Worried about paying for vaccines? Visit the Vaccine Provider web page.
Immunization Waivers
Wyoming Statute 21-4-309(a) grants authority to the State Health Officer and County Health Officer to authorize waivers “upon submission of written evidence of religious objection or medical contraindication to the administration of any vaccine.” The law does not allow parents/guardians to request a waiver simply because of inconvenience (for example, a record is lost or incomplete and it is too much trouble to go to a physician or clinic to correct the problem). Wyoming statute does NOT allow for the authorization of waiver requests based on philosophical beliefs. Schools should maintain an up-to-date list of students with waiver, so they may be excluded during a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak as determined by the State Health Officer of a County Health Officer.
Conditional Enrollment
If immunization requires a series of immunizations over a period of more than thirty (30) calendar days, a child shall be permitted to attend school while receiving continuing immunization if the preschool, child care or school administrator receives written notification by a private licensed physician or his representative or by a public health official, specifying a written schedule for necessary immunization completion within the medically accepted time period. To be eligible for conditional enrollment, a child must have received at least one (1) dose of each required vaccine but has not completed all the required immunizations or has an appointment scheduled to undergo serologic testing.