Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Adequate immunization" means the immunization requirements prescribed under 12VAC5-110-70.

"Admit" or "admission" means the official enrollment or reenrollment for attendance at any grade level, whether full-time or part-time, of any student by any school.

"Admitting official" means the school principal or his designated representative if a public school; if a nonpublic school or child care center, the principal, headmaster or director of the school or center.

"Board" means the State Board of Health.

"Commissioner" means the State Health Commissioner.

"Compliance" means the completion of the immunization requirements prescribed under 12VAC5-110-70.

"Conditional enrollment" means the enrollment of a student for a period of 90 days contingent upon the student having received at least one dose of each of the required vaccines and the student possessing a plan, from a physician or local health department, for completing his immunization requirements within the ensuing 90 calendar days. If the student requires more than two doses of hepatitis B vaccine, the conditional enrollment period, for hepatitis B vaccine only, shall be 180 calendar days.

"Documentary proof" means an appropriately completed copy of the most current version of Form MCH 213G signed by a physician or his designee, registered nurse, or an official of a local health department. A copy of the immunization record signed or stamped by a physician or his designee, registered nurse, or an official of a local health department indicating the dates of administration including month, day, and year of the required vaccines, shall be acceptable in lieu of recording these dates on Form MCH 213G, as long as the record is attached to Form MCH 213G and the remainder of Form MCH 213G has been appropriately completed. A printout of an immunization record from the provider's electronic health record can be accepted without a signature or stamp. For a new student transferring from an out-of-state school, any immunization record, which contains the exact date (month/day/year) of administration of each of the required doses of vaccines, is signed by a physician or his designee or registered nurse, and complies fully with the requirements prescribed under 12VAC5-110-70 shall be acceptable.

"Immunization" means the administration of a product licensed by the FDA to confer protection against one or more specific pathogens.

"Immunization schedules" means the 2017 Recommended Immunization Schedules for Children and Adolescents Aged 18 Years or Younger developed and published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

"Physician" means any person licensed to practice medicine in any of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.

"School" means:

1. Any public school from kindergarten through grade 12 operated under the authority of any locality within this Commonwealth;

2. Any private or religious school that offers instruction at any level or grade from kindergarten through grade 12;

3. Any private or religious nursery school or preschool, or any private or religious child care center required to be licensed by this Commonwealth;

4. Any preschool classes or Head Start classes operated by the school divisions within this Commonwealth; and

5. Any family day home or developmental center.

"Student" means any person who seeks admission to a school, or for whom admission to a school is sought by a parent or guardian, and who will not have attained the age of 20 years by the start of the school term for which admission is sought.

"Twelve months of age" means the 365th day following the date of birth. For the purpose of evaluating records, vaccines administered up to four days prior to the first birthday (361 days following the date of birth) will be considered valid.