Skip To Main Content

Immunizations

SCHOOL IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

Colorado law requires all students attending Colorado schools and licensed child cares to be vaccinated against certain diseases unless they have a certificate of medical or nonmedical exemption on file. You must file a certificate of exemption at each school, or child care the student attends. To protect unvaccinated children, students with an exemption from one or more required vaccines may be kept out of a school or child care during a disease outbreak.

Nonmedical exemptions

Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year (7/1/2021), the process of submitting a nonmedical exemption will consist of two ways to submit a nonmedical exemption.

  • Submit the Certificate of nonmedical exemption WITH a signature from an immunizing provider who is a medical doctor, doctor of osteopathic medicine, advanced practice nurse or delegated physician’s assistant OR
  • Submit the Certificate of nonmedical exemption received upon the completion of CDPHE’s Online Immunization Education Module.
  • Parents of students in preschool or child care must submit nonmedical exemptions at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 months of age. These exemptions expire when the next vaccines are due or when the child enrolls in kindergarten.
  • Parents of students in grades K-12 claiming a nonmedical exemption must submit one annually. Nonmedical exemptions expire June 30th each year. If you submit a Certificate of nonmedical exemption on or before June 30th, it will not be valid for the upcoming school year unless you submit the exemption during early registration.

Medical exemptions

  • Students with a completed Certificate of medical exemption (signed by a medical doctor, doctor of osteopathic medicine, advanced practice nurse or delegated physician's assistant) need to submit this Certificate only once unless the student’s information or school changes.
  • You can submit a Certificate of medical exemption with CDPHE to include in the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS). Check with your student’s school, child care or college/university to find out if they want the printed copy of the Certificate of medical exemption or, if they can access the “submitted” document from CIIS.
  • Per Colorado Revised Statutes 25-4-2403(2.5), immunizing providers must submit medical exemption data to CIIS.

Excerpt from Colorado Department of Education Vaccine Exemption Page

For more information about vaccine requirements, resources and exemptions, please visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's School Immunization page.