Idaho legislative committee OKs 12th-grade immunization rule

The Idaho Legislature’s House Health and Welfare committee is recommending approval of a rule that adds a second meningococcal vaccine dose to the list of school-required vaccinations.

Parents and legal guardians in Idaho still have the option of exempting their children from the required immunizations. Deputy State Epidemiologist Kathy Turner says the new Department of Health and Welfare rule will help remind families to make sure their children are fully immunized against the rare but often catastrophic disease.

Students who receive the meningococcal vaccine before the age of 16 have to receive two doses of the vaccine to be fully immunized. Students who get their first dose of the vaccine after turning 16, however, need only one dose.

The requirement goes into effect for twelfth-grade students at the start of the 2020-2021 school year.