Health Services ensure that schools have the resources and systems in place to support the health-related services needed while a student is accessing their education.

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Health services may include:

• Emergency care plans for students with life-threatening conditions, such as severe allergies, asthma, cardiac conditions, diabetes, and seizures.

• Individual health plans for students requiring nursing-directed care

• Student health assessments as requested by school staff, administrators, teachers, or parent/guardian

• Monitoring of student immunization compliance

• Hearing and Vision screening

• Contact Tracing and guidance for COVID-19

• Parent/Guardian communication as needed

• In emergency situations, 911 will be called

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Medication at School

Students who must take medication (prescription or over-the-counter) or have rescue medications at school because of a life-threatening condition, must have a completed Medication Authorization form, signed by a licensed health care provider, on file with the school nurse. The Medication Authorization Form is available at school or by using the link above,

 

When to keep your child home or when your child might be sent home:

• Students with a fever of 100° F or higher should stay home for at least 24 hours and not attend school until fever-free for 24 hours, without fever-reducing medications

• Students with a cough or sore throat, especially with a fever, should stay home from school until at least 24 hours after flu-like symptoms have resolved

• Vomiting or diarrhea, until symptom free for 24 hours

• Pink eye, with or without drainage, until treated

• Body rash

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Immunization

Washington law requires that all children be fully immunized against the following communicable diseases: Varicella (chickenpox), Diphtheria, Pertussis (whooping cough), Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Hepatitis B. All students must have a signed Certification of Immunization Status (CIS) form to attend school.

In addition, all new immunization records provided to the school must be medically verified. Examples of medically verified records can be found here.

 

The CIS form is available at your student's school and stays with a student's records. The form is also available here.

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You can also print a CIS form at home that includes your child's medically verified records on file with Washington state. To do this, simply sign up and log into MyIR. For more information on immunizations, contact your child's health care provider or the Seattle-King County Health Department.

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Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Prevention​

What is HPV?  HPV is a very common virus that can cause cancers later in life. Nearly 42 million people are currently infected with HPV in the United States. About 13 million people, including teens, become infected with HPV each year. In the U.S., an estimated 36,000 people are affected by a cancer caused by HPV infection each year. While there is screening for cervical cancer that can detect cancer early, there is no recommended screening for the other cancers caused by HPV infection, like cancers of the back of the throat, anus, penis, vagina, or vulva.

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How can I protect my child from HPV?

HPV vaccination provides safe, effective, and lasting protection against the HPV infections that most commonly cause cancer. HPV vaccination works extremely well. HPV vaccine has the potential to prevent more than 90% of HPV-attributable cancers. Since HPV vaccination was first recommended in 2006, infections with HPV types that cause most HPV cancers and genital warts have dropped 88% among teen girls and 81% among young adult women.

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Who should get the vaccine and when should they get it?

Because the vaccine is more effective when given at younger ages, two doses of HPV vaccine are recommended for all boys and girls starting at ages 9 to 14. If boys or girls do not get the first dose of HPV vaccine before age 15, they will need three doses.

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For more information on HPV, the vaccine, and cervical cancer:

• Washington State Department of Health: www.doh.wa.gov/hpv

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: www.cdc.gov/hpv  

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Meningococcal Disease and Prevention

​What is meningococcal disease? Meningococcal disease is a serious illness. It spreads through close contact by coughing, kissing, or sharing anything by mouth, such as water bottles, eating utensils, lip balm, or toothbrushes. It can cause pneumonia, blood infections, and meningitis (swelling of the covering of the brain and spinal cord). Severe disease can cause brain damage, loss of hearing or limbs, and death. Fortunately, this life-threatening infection is rare – we usually have only about 20 to 30 reported cases each year in Washington. Adolescents and young adults are more likely to get meningococcal disease, especially if they live in group settings like college dorms.

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How can I protect my child from meningococcal disease?

The meningococcal conjugate vaccine, or MCV4, prevents against four types of the disease. It is a 2-dose series recommended for all children between 11 and 12 years of age, and again at 16 to 18 years of age. The meningococcal B vaccine, or MenB, is recommended during a meningococcal B disease outbreak or based on shared decision making with your health care provider.

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For more information about meningococcal disease and how to prevent it:
 

• Washington State Department of Health meningococcal information:
  https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/meningitis-meningococcal-disease 
   

• CDC meningococcal disease and vaccine information:  https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/mening.html

                          

Where can I find the meningococcal and HPV vaccines?

Talk to your health care provider about the vaccines your child needs. In addition to meningococcal and HPV vaccines, your preteen should receive Tdap. Washington offers vaccines at no cost to kids through age 18 through the Childhood Vaccine Program. Participating providers may charge an office visit fee or administration fee to give the vaccine. If you can’t afford these fees, you can ask to have them waived. This provider map can be used to find providers in the Childhood Vaccine Program: https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/vaccinemap/

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Important Forms​

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• Medication Authorization  |  Spanish

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• Student Health Concerns - Annual Update Form  |  Spanish

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• Return After Concussion  |  Spanish