If a child received a Tdap after the age of 7, he/she should not receive the Tdap at this time and can consider this requirement fulfilled. If a child has received the first MCV4 vaccine, the second MCV4 will be due prior to entrance into 12th grade. There must be a minimum of 8 weeks between the first and second MCV4 vaccines.

The Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) vaccine is important to protect adolescents and adults against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, a disease that is highly contagious.

The MCV4 (meningococcal serogroups A, C, W and Y) vaccine can prevent 4 types of meningococcal disease including 2 of the 3 most common in the United States. There are other types of meningococcal disease that the MCV4 does not provide protection against.

Due to the increasing presence of whooping cough, a dose of Tdap vaccine is required by the Ohio Department of Health for students entering the 7th grade. Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease that typically occurs in school age children. Vaccine protection from doses received during infancy diminishes over time, therefore an additional dose is necessary for optimum immunity.

Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial illness that is the leading cause of meningitis in children 2 – 18 years old in the United States. Two doses of MCV4 are required for school attendance in Ohio; the first prior to entering the 7th grade and the 2nd, prior to entering the 12th grade.

• Talk to your child’s health care provider about getting the Tdap vaccine if your child has had epilepsy, Guillan Barre Syndrome or a serious reaction to a previous tetanus shot.
• Talk to your child’s health care provider about getting the MCV4 vaccine if your child has had a serious reaction to a previous MCV4 vaccine.

 

Additional Resources

• Notice of Privacy
• Vaccine Information Statement