Childcare Providers Immunization Reporting

What you can do to keep children healthy, protected, and in childcare:

• Enforce the immunization requirements and ensure children have documentation of vaccination or an exemption on file before enrolling or transitioning to the next age level.
• Send out reminders to families whose children are in-progress or missing doses and explain that providers must show compliance with state requirements.
• Use multiple opportunities to communicate with parents such as Early Childhood Screening, center activities like open houses or parent teacher conferences, center newsletter (paper or electronic), and your organization/center websites.
• Provide immunization resources for children and parents, such as information on how and where to get Free or Low-Cost Shots for Children in partnership with Local Public Health.
• Vaccines for Infants, Children, and Adolescents has a variety of resources that are translated and can be used by early childhood education and childcare providers, and parents.
• Make sure families know that unvaccinated children are at increased risk for vaccine-preventable disease which could disrupt learning and lead to physical and mental health problems for children. For example, when children are unvaccinated for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), public health may recommend they remain at home for several weeks after being exposed to prevent an outbreak in the center.

For more information about immunizations refer to Immunization.

Questions? Email MDH at health.aisr@state.mn.us.

• MIIC and Childcares
  How childcare providers can use the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) to ensure the children in their care are up to date on immunizations. MIIC can also be used to assist in completing the annual immunization status report.
• Childcare Immunization Data
  Immunization and exemption data for licensed childcare centers in Minnesota.
• Vaccines for Infants, Children, and Adolescents
  Easy to read recommended immunization schedules, the Are Your Kids Ready? forms (required immunizations for school and childcare), and links to Minnesota immunization laws and administrative rules.
• Immunization Requirements for Homeless and Foster Children
  Federal policies override our state law for children in special living situations. Children who are homeless, in foster care, or waiting to be placed in foster care are allowed to enroll without showing immunization records.

Childcares are required to report vaccine-preventable disease and gastrointestinal illness (such as norovirus) outbreaks.

• Foodborne Outbreaks at Schools, Child Care, and Long-term Care Facilities
  Reporting, preventing, and handling norovirus in a school setting.
• Reporting Pertussis (Bordetella pertussis)
  All cases of pertussis must be reported to the Minnesota Department of Health. Find out what needs to be reported, who needs to report diseases, which forms to use and where to find out more about the disease.
• Reporting Varicella (Chickenpox).
  Schools and childcares are to report all suspected and confirmed cases of chickenpox and shingles (zoster) at their facility, even if they have not been diagnosed by a healthcare provider. Find out what needs to be reported, who needs to report diseases, which forms to use and where to find out more about these diseases.
• Preparing for and Responding to Measles in Your Childcare Center (PDF)
  Information on how to prepare and steps to take if there has been a person with measles in your center as well as disease reporting requirements.
• Preparing for and Responding to Measles in Your Childcare (PDF)
  Information for family childcare providers on how to prepare and steps to take if there has been a person with measles in your care.

• Childcare Provider Information for Minnesota's Immunization Law
  Fact sheet for childcare providers and early childhood programs on Minnesota's immunization law including what information they are required to collect and have on file for each child in their program.
• Parent Information on Minnesota's Immunization Law for Childcare and Early Childhood Programs
  Fact sheet for parents on Minnesota’s immunization law for parents with children in childcare and early childhood programs.
• Statute 121A.15 Health Standards; Immunizations; School Children
• Minnesota Administrative Rules, Chapter 4604, Immunization