Back-to-School Health Check: Are Your Child’s Vaccines Up to Date?
Back-to-school season is here! As backpacks are filled with school supplies and new routines take shape, it’s also a good time to make sure your child is ready for a healthy school year. Checking their immunizations is one simple step that can help your family start the year feeling prepared and confident.
Start with your child’s vaccine record
Before making an appointment, take a look at your child’s immunization record. If you are not sure which vaccines your child needs, don’t worry. Your child’s health care provider can review their record and let you know if any vaccines are due or if they need to catch up.
Maine also has a statewide immunization information system called ImmPact. Maine residents can access their immunization records through Docket, a free app that securely connects with Maine’s Immunization Information System. Parents and legal guardians can use Docket to access records for children in their care.
If you cannot find your child’s records, you can also ask their health care provider, school, or the Maine Immunization Program for help.
Learn more about finding your immunization records through Maine CDC.
Know Maine’s school requirements
Maine has immunization requirements for children attending public and private schools. Requirements vary by grade.
For example, children entering Pre-K generally need:
4 doses of DTaP
3 doses of polio vaccine
1 dose of MMR
1 dose of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
Children entering kindergarten generally need:
5 doses of DTaP, or 4 if the fourth dose was given on or after the child’s fourth birthday
4 doses of polio vaccine, or 3 if the third dose was given on or after the child’s fourth birthday
2 doses of MMR
2 doses of varicella vaccine
Students entering seventh grade need all previously required vaccines, plus Tdap and one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY). This vaccine provides protection against four strains of Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (serogroups A, C, W, and Y), which cause severe infections like meningitis and sepsis.
Students entering 12th grade need all previously required vaccines and, generally, a second dose of MenACWY unless the first dose was given on or after their 16th birthday.
Note: These are Maine school requirements, not a complete list of vaccines that may be recommended for your child. The American Academy of Pediatrics publishes a separate, age-based immunization schedule for children and adolescents through age 18. The 2026 schedule includes routine and catch-up recommendations and is updated each year.
Your child’s health care provider can help you understand what is recommended based on their age, health, previous vaccinations, and other individual circumstances.
Where can families get vaccines?
Children can receive recommended vaccines through many health care settings, including pediatric and family medicine practices, federally qualified health centers, school-based health centers, and public health clinics. Maine’s Universal Immunization Program provides vaccines for Maine children ages 0 through 18, regardless of insurance status.
In Hancock and Washington counties, families can start by contacting their child’s primary care provider or a local community health center.
Not every location offers every vaccine, and availability and appointment requirements can change. Call ahead to ask whether the vaccine your child needs is available and whether an appointment is required.
You can also use Maine CDC’s Get Vaccinated resources to find vaccination providers around Maine.
What if paying for vaccines is a concern?
Maine’s Universal Immunization Program provides state-supplied vaccines for Maine children ages 0 through 18, regardless of insurance status. When you make an appointment, let the provider know if you have questions about insurance coverage or vaccine costs. They can help you understand your options.
It’s not too late to catch up
Vaccines help protect children from serious diseases and help keep classmates, teachers, family members, and neighbors healthy, too. Keeping vaccines up to date is one way we can all help create healthier, safer schools and communities.
If your child has missed a vaccine or fallen behind, you do not necessarily have to start over. Health care providers can use a catch-up schedule to help children and adolescents receive the vaccines they need.
The most important step is to start by talking with your child’s health care provider.
For more information:
Maine CDC: Get Vaccinated
Find information about vaccines and vaccination providers throughout Maine.
maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/diseases-conditions/immunization/get-vaccinated
Maine CDC: Immunization Records
Learn how to access your child’s Maine immunization record through Docket.
maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/diseases-conditions/immunization/immunization-records
Maine CDC: School Immunization Requirements
Review Maine’s current school, child care, and camp immunization requirements.
maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/diseases-conditions/immunization/immunization-requirements-for-schools-child-care-camp
American Academy of Pediatrics: 2026 Immunization Schedule
View the current recommended immunization schedule for children and adolescents.
aap.org/en/patient-care/immunizations
Maine Immunization Program: 1-800-867-4775 | ImmunizeME.DHHS@maine.gov
Healthy Acadia provides this information for educational purposes and does not provide medical advice. Talk with your child’s health care provider about which vaccines are recommended or required for your child.