Georgia students who expect to attend sixth grade this fall are going to have to roll up their sleeves again. The Georgia Department of Human Resources board has approved a new immunization schedule for schoolchildren, based on recommendations from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Among the changes: Kids entering sixth grade will need booster shots for chicken pox and mumps; preschoolers will need to be vaccinated against a certain type of pneumonia; and all children born after Jan. 1, 2006, must be immunized against hepatitis A.
The immunization certificate required in order to attend Georgia schools is being revised based on the new recommendations. Copies of the form will be available from pediatricians and public health departments by Thursday.
Representatives from the Gainesville and Hall County school systems plan to meet with public health officials next week to discuss the new requirements and how to make people aware of them.