Arkansas Vaccination Requirements: Schedules, Exemptions, and Proof

To attend a public school, private school, or licensed childcare facility in Arkansas, a child must be vaccinated against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, varicella, pneumococcal disease, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and meningococcal disease, with the exact doses set by age and grade. The Arkansas school vaccination requirements are established by state law and enforced by the Arkansas Department of Health, which also handles the three available exemptions: medical, religious, and philosophical.¹

What Vaccines Your Child Needs

Arkansas Code § 6-18-702 sets the base list (polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, rubella) and gives the State Board of Health authority to add others, which is why mumps, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, varicella, pneumococcal, Hib, and meningococcal vaccines are now also required.¹ The specific doses depend on when your child is entering the system.

Childcare

Children in licensed childcare need vaccines against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, rubella, mumps, Hib, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, pneumococcal disease, and varicella. The number of doses depends on the child’s age at enrollment.²

Kindergarten

Before starting kindergarten, a child needs:

DTaP: 4 doses, with one on or after the fourth birthday
Polio: 3 doses (one on or after the fourth birthday, at least six months between the second and third), or 4 doses with one on or after the fourth birthday
MMR: 2 doses, first on or after the first birthday, at least 28 days apart
Hepatitis B: 3 doses
Varicella: 2 doses, first on or after the first birthday, at least 28 days apart
Hepatitis A: 1 dose on or after the first birthday

A documented chickenpox history from a physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant can substitute for the varicella vaccine. Parent-reported history is not accepted.²

Grades 1 Through 12

Students in grades 1 through 12 need the same core vaccines as kindergarteners, with these additions:

Tdap: one dose for every student age 11 or older as of September 1 of that school year
Meningococcal (MCV4): one dose at grade 7, plus a second dose at age 16, at least eight weeks apart. A first dose received at age 16 or later counts as complete.
Hepatitis A: one dose required for first graders

Students ages 11 through 15 may use a two-dose hepatitis B schedule instead of three, depending on the vaccine.²

Proving Vaccination

Schools and childcare facilities require documentation showing each vaccine and the exact date given. A note saying a child is “up to date” is not enough. Acceptable proof is a certificate from a licensed physician or an authorized public health department representative.¹

Lost the records? The Arkansas Department of Health maintains a state immunization registry called WebIZ.³ Access is limited to authorized users and providers, so parents generally request records by filing the Department’s Authorization to Release Official Immunization History form.⁴ Your child’s doctor or local health unit can also pull copies from their own files.

If Your Child Isn’t Fully Vaccinated Yet

A child who is still catching up can be admitted temporarily. Schools may enroll a child for up to thirty calendar days while doses are completed, or while an exemption application is pending.⁵ For the Tdap dose at age 11 and the meningococcal dose at age 16, the deadline is October 1 of the school year rather than thirty days after admission. Licensed childcare facilities give a shorter grace period: fifteen program days from the date of admission.²

To count as “in process,” a child must have already received at least one dose and be waiting the minimum interval before the next. The school has to keep a written statement from a medical professional confirming this and listing the date the next dose is due.⁶ Miss a scheduled dose after temporary admission, and the school must exclude the child until updated documentation is provided.

Medical Exemptions

A child can be excused from a required vaccine if an Arkansas-licensed physician determines that a medical condition makes the vaccine potentially harmful. The parent submits the Department of Health’s medical exemption form along with the physician’s documentation to the Immunization Section’s Medical Director for review.⁷ Only a letter issued by the Medical Director is a valid medical exemption. A note from your child’s own doctor does not, by itself, exempt the child at school.

Medical exemptions must be renewed every year through the Department of Health.¹

Religious and Philosophical Exemptions

Arkansas is one of the few states that recognizes both religious and philosophical objections to vaccination. Either way, the exemption comes from the Department of Health, not the school. No school or childcare facility can grant one on its own.¹

The application has four parts:

A notarized statement from the parent or guardian explaining the religious or philosophical objection
Completion of an educational activity developed by the Department of Health covering the risks and benefits of vaccination
A signed informed-consent refusal-to-vaccinate form on the Department’s official template
A signed acknowledgment that the child may be removed from school during a disease outbreak and cannot return until the Department of Health lifts the exclusion

The exemption must be renewed annually, per child, per facility, and no exemption takes effect until the Department has completed its review and every required step is finished.¹ The Department of Health runs an online portal for submitting applications.

The outbreak condition is not negotiable. If the Department of Health determines an outbreak is underway at your child’s school, an exempted child stays out until the Department says the outbreak is resolved.¹

What Happens If You Don’t Comply

A child who remains out of compliance after the temporary admission period must be excluded from school. Attendance can resume once the child is fully vaccinated, verifiably back in process, or has an approved exemption on file.

Violations also carry a fine of $25 to $100 per offense, and that liability runs to both parents and school personnel who allow a non-compliant child to attend.¹ Childcare facilities can face additional penalties under the Childcare Facility Licensing Act.

Paying for the Required Vaccines

Most private health plans must cover every vaccine on the CDC’s ACIP schedule with no copay, coinsurance, or deductible.⁸ That covers every vaccine Arkansas requires for school.

Families without adequate coverage can use the federal Vaccines for Children program, which provides free vaccines to children under 19 who are uninsured, on Medicaid, American Indian or Alaska Native, or underinsured. Underinsured children can receive VFC vaccines at federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics.⁹ Your local health department can point you to a participating provider.

A Note on College and Vaccine Injuries

The K–12 rules are separate from what colleges require. State institutions like the University of Arkansas require incoming students, including graduate and transfer students, to document two doses of MMR before enrolling in on-campus classes, with exceptions for students born before 1957, documented immunity, or a lawful medical exemption.¹⁰ Individual campuses set their own policies, so check with the school’s student health office.

If your child suffers a serious reaction to a required vaccine, the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program provides a no-fault claims process. It covers most childhood vaccines, including DTaP, MMR, polio, hepatitis B, varicella, hepatitis A, and meningococcal.¹¹ Claims must be filed within three years of the first symptom, or within two years of a vaccine-related death (and no more than four years after the first symptom of the underlying injury).¹² COVID-19 vaccine claims go through a separate program, the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program, which has a one-year filing deadline from the date the vaccine was received.¹³

1
Justia. Arkansas Code 6-18-702 – Immunization
2
Arkansas Department of Health. Arkansas Department of Health Immunization Requirements
3
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. IIS Policies – Arkansas
4
Arkansas Department of Health. Arkansas Department of Health Immunization Registry Authorization to Release Official Immunization History
5
Arkansas Department of Education. Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing Kindergarten Through 12th Grade Immunization Requirements in Arkansas Public Schools
6
Arkansas Department of Education. Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing Immunization Requirements in Arkansas Public Schools
7
Code of Arkansas Rules. Arkansas Code of Rules 6 CAR 520-302 – Medical Exemptions
8
eCFR. 29 CFR 2590.715-2713 – Coverage of Preventive Health Services
9
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines for Children VFC Program Eligibility
10
University of Arkansas. Immunization Policy for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
11
Health Resources and Services Administration. Covered Vaccines
12
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 300aa-16 – Limitations of Actions
13
Health Resources and Services Administration. Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program