STATE OF TENNESSEE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM
Section 49-6-5001 of the Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) states that the Commissioner of Health is authorized to designate diseases against which children must be immunized prior to attending school. The definition of "school" includes all day care centers, primary and secondary schools and colleges. The requirements are outlined below. The TCA also allows medical and religious exemptions to the law.
Day Care (Pre-K) Immunization Requirements
To be in compliance with state regulations, children < 18 months of age must be age-appropriately immunized (according to the chart below) with DTaP, MMR, Hib, Polio, and Varicella vaccines at the time of enrollment in day care. Children who enroll in day care before 8 weeks of age are not required to have an immunization record on file.
Children 19 months of age and older must be fully immunized with all doses of all required vaccines.
Age (in Months) Vaccine Requirements in Doses by Vaccine Type
DTap Polio MMR Hib Chickenpox
2 months 1 1 N/A 1 N/A
4 months* 2 2 N/A 2 N/A
6 months* 3 2 N/A 2 or 3** N/A
12-18 months 3 or 4*** 2 or 3*** 1 1****, 3 or 4 1*****
18 Months to 4 years 4 4 1 1****, 3 or 4 1*****
* Or 2 months after prior immunization, if late start
** If Hepatitis B/Hib vaccine is used, dose 3 is routinely given at 12, not 6, months of age.
*** The fourth dose of DTaP may be given 6 months after dose 3 or may not be given until 18 months of
age; the third dose of Polio vaccine may be given as early as 6 months of age or as late as 18 months of
age.
**** If Hib vaccine is started after 15 months of age, only 1 dose is required.
***** A physician or parent diagnosis of chickenpox meets the requirements.