Pre-Kindergarten Immunization Assessment Instructions

This page describes how to sort each child into a category at the time of online reporting (not to be used for initial screening for admission).  Information for this report must be obtained from the California School Immunization Record (Blue Card- CDPH286 PDF) or equivalent record.

Reporting Tools:

• California Immunization Handbook (PDF)
  
• Guide to Immunizations Required  
  Pre-Kindergarten (Child Care/ Preschool) (PDF)
  
• Worksheet (Excel) (PDF)
  
• Reporting FAQs
  

• Online Training for Reporting Immunizations 
  

1. Review each child’s Blue Card

Determine the immunization status for each child individually, by placing each Blue Card into its appropriate pile based on child's status, starting with either:  

• 6 group piles: "All Required Vaccine Doses", "PME", "Other", "Conditional", "TME" or "Overdue" or
  
• 2 group piles: "All Required Vaccine Doses" and "Missing Doses". Then sort children with "Missing Doses" into their 5 separate piles: "PME", "Other", "Conditional", "TME" or "Overdue"
  

Only report for children who are preschool aged: 2-5 years

Use the worksheet to list each student and mark their reporting status at the time of reporting. Most students have "All Required Vaccine Doses". Students in the "Missing Doses" pile should be missing one or more required immunizations. 

Place each student in one of the categories below:
Only report for children who are preschool aged: 2-5 years

Unconditional Admission:

Requirements Met

All Required Vaccine Doses

• Students who are immunized with all required doses have a single check in "has all required vaccine doses" under the "Status of Requirements" section of the Blue Card.
• Do not include students who have proof of disease for chickenpox. Please see criteria for permanent medical exemptions.

Requirements Met, But Missing Doses

PME- Permanent Medical Exemption

Issued on or after January 2021:

• Submits a medical exemption issued in CAIR-ME for one or more required vaccines (including varicella due to history of chickenpox disease) and immunization records with dates for all required shots not exempted. If you have a student in this category, sign up for access to CAIR-ME by emailing medicalexemptions@cdph.ca.gov.

Other:

• Preschools may contact their authorized local educational agency (LEA) for additional information about these categories.
• Only use if students do NOT have All Required Vaccine Doses, a temporary medical exemption or conditional admission and WHO ARE:
  IEP- Accessing special education or related services required by their individualized education program.

Conditional Admission, Needs Follow-up:

Conditional – Missing Doses Not Currently Due

• If a child is missing a dose(s) in a series but no immunizations are currently due.
• Commenced receiving doses of all the vaccines required (table)(PDF) and is not currently due for any doses at the time of reporting (as determined by intervals listed in Conditional Admission Schedule, column entitled "EXCLUDE IF NOT GIVEN BY")
• No longer includes homeless and foster students who are awaiting records at time of reporting. Please see Overdue.

TME- Temporary Medical Exemption

• Submits a TME issued in CAIR-ME for one or more vaccines and has submitted immunization records for vaccines not exempted. If you have a student in this category, sign up for access to CAIR-ME by emailing medicalexemptions@cdph.ca.gov.

Requirements Not Met, Missing Doses, Needs Follow-up:

Overdue- Needs Doses Now

• Out of compliance, missing doses are overdue. Child may not attend school until overdue doses are received. The deadline listed in Conditional Admission Schedule, column entitled "EXCLUDE IF NOT GIVEN BY" (table)(PDF), has passed.
• Homeless and foster students (allowed initial enrollment without records) counted here if still in the process of meeting requirements/waiting for records. If students do not have records, count the student as missing all doses.

2. Tally each child's Reporting Status on the Worksheet

On the Worksheet…

• List each student and check the designated box of their status.
• For students missing any doses, tally which vaccine(s) are missing.
• If the student is not missing any vaccine(s) leave the vaccines missing blank.

Missing Doses by Vaccine:  

• Count the total of all children "Missing Doses" who do not have "All Required Vaccine Doses".
• List each student missing any doses and check the designated box of their reporting status.
• Tally which vaccine(s) are missing. If the student is not missing any vaccine(s) leave the worksheet blank.
• Total the columns for the number of children in each reporting category and total number of children missing each vaccine. The total must be equal the total enrollment since each child is only in one group.
• The total number of students missing polio, DTaP, MMR, Hep B, Varicella or Hib vaccine must not exceed the number of children missing immunizations for any reason.
• In the example below, 4 students are missing doses. Each individual vaccine missing (Polio, DTaP, MMR, Hep B, Varicella, Hib) can only total up to 4.