Glens Falls City Schools > Departments & Services > Health Services > Health Screenings and Immunizations

Health Screenings and Immunizations

school nurse with student taking a hearing test in the nurse's office with a vision test board also visible

Physical Examinations and Screenings

Following New York state regulations, each student in grades K-3, 5, 7, and 10 receives a vision test for distance. Hearing tests are done on each student in grades K, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10. Scoliosis screening is done on all students in grades 5-9. Parents are notified if the student fails to pass the screening tests.

Physicals are required prior to kindergarten entry and again in second, fourth, seventh and 10th grades. Also any student transferring into the district for the first time must provide a health certificate from his/her family physician or the school district previously attended. The child’s physician can complete the physical or the school doctor will perform a physical. Any condition needing medical attention which is discovered by the school physician will be reported to the parent for follow-up by the family physician.

Students wishing to participate in interscholastic athletics must undergo a special examination and be found to be physically fit by the school physician before being permitted to be on a team. Nurses are in attendance or on call in each of the district’s six schools to administer aid and to help with each student’s health problems. Individual student records indicating medical history, height, weight, sight, hearing and color perception are maintained by the school. 

Immunizations

New York state requires the following immunizations for students:

Required Immunizations (NYS Department of Health chart)

Kindergarten – Grade 4

  • DTaP (Diphtheria and Tetanus): 5 doses with the last dose at age 4 or older (only exception is if 4th dose is after age 4)
  • IPV (Polio vaccine): 4 doses (unless 3rd dose received at 4 years of age or older)
  • Hepatitis B: 3 doses, 1st dose may be given at birth or anytime thereafter. Dose 2 must be received at least 4 weeks (28 days) after dose 1. Dose 3 must be at least 8 weeks after dose 2 AND at least 16 weeks after dose 1 AND no earlier than 24 weeks of age.
  • MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine): 2 doses, 1st dose on or after 1st birthday; must have 28 days between doses 1 and 2 of measles vaccine
  • Varicella (Chickenpox): 2 doses, 1st dose on or after 1st birthday

Grade 5

  • DTaP (Diphtheria and Tetanus): 5 doses with the last dose at age 4 or older (only exception is if 4th dose is after age 4)
  • IPV (Polio vaccine): 3 doses
  • Hepatitis B: 3 doses, 1st dose may be given at birth or anytime thereafter. Dose 2 must be received at least 4 weeks (28 days) after dose 1. Dose 3 must be at least 8 weeks after dose 2 AND at least 16 weeks after dose 1 AND no earlier than 24 weeks of age.
  • MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine): 2 doses, 1st dose on or after 1st birthday, must have 28 days between doses 1 and 2 of measles vaccine.
  • Varicella (Chickenpox): 1 dose on or after 1st birthday

Grades 6-10

  • DTaP (Diphtheria and Tetanus): 3 doses
  • Tdap (Diphtheria and Tetanus booster): 1 dose, not required until the student turns 11 years of age; a dose of Tdap received at 7 years of age or older will meet this requirement
  • IPV (Polio vaccine): 4 doses (unless 3rd dose received at 4 years of age or older)
  • Hepatitis B: 3 doses, 1st dose may be given at birth or anytime thereafter. Dose 2 must be received at least 4 weeks (28 days) after dose 1. Dose 3 must be at least 8 weeks after dose 2 AND at least 16 weeks after dose 1 AND no earlier than 24 weeks of age. Or, 2 doses of adult hepatitis B vaccine (Recombivax) for children who received the doses at least 4 months apart between the ages of 11 through 15 years of age
  • MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine): 2 doses, 1st dose on or after 1st birthday, must have 28 days between doses 1 and 2 of measles vaccine
  • Varicella (Chickenpox): 2 doses, 1st dose on or after 1st birthday
  • Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY): Grades 7, 8, 9- 1 dose

Grades 11 & 12

  • DTaP (Diphtheria and Tetanus): 3 doses
  • Tdap (Diphtheria and Tetanus booster): 1 dose
  • IPV (Polio vaccine): 3 doses
  • Hepatitis B: 3 doses, 1st dose may be given at birth or anytime thereafter.  Dose 2 must be received at least 4 weeks (28 days) after dose 1. Dose 3 must be at least 8 weeks after dose 2 AND at least 16 weeks after dose 1 AND no earlier than 24 weeks of age. Or, 2 doses of adult hepatitis B vaccine (Recombivax) for children who received the doses at least 4 months apart between the ages of 11 through 15 years of age
  • MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine): 2 doses, 1st dose on or after 1st birthday, must have 28 days between doses 1 and 2 of measles vaccine
  • Varicella (Chickenpox): 1 dose, 1st dose on or after 1st birthday
  • Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY): Grade 12: 2 doses or 1 dose if the dose was received at 16 years or older.

All of the listed immunizations must be documented by your physician or local health department where your child received the immunization, or must be from an official copy of the immunization record from your child’s previous school. All immunizations must specify the exact date each immunization was administered. Your child will not be permitted to attend school without the necessary verification of immunizations.

No immunizations are performed by the Glens Falls City School District. Immunizations must be obtained privately or by the county Health Services.