Immunization Service

Immunization Service, an Oklahoma State Department of Health Prevention and Preparedness Services program, provides Oklahomans with reliable information and resources to make decisions about vaccines. Immunization Service works with other state agencies, such as the Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the Department of Education to raise awareness about the value of immunizations and help to increase immunization levels among Oklahomans to prevent diseases.

Provide immunization information to the public and answer questions about vaccines and the diseases they prevent.
Monitor immunization compliance in childcare facilities and schools as required by state law.
Provide vaccines through county health departments.
Operate and maintain the Oklahoma State Immunization Information System (OSIIS).
Provide immunization consultation and training to immunization providers, schools, and childcare facilities throughout Oklahoma.
Coordinate the purchase, distribution and quality assurance of vaccine to over 800 public and private clinics enrolled in the Vaccines for Children Program statewide.

Vaccinations protect the people you care about by reducing the spread of preventable diseases. Vaccinations can save your family time and money. Vaccinations can save your child's life by protecting against preventable diseases.

Calling the Shots - Examine the science behind vaccinations, the return of preventable diseases, and the risks of opting out in this free PBS series.
Vaccines on the Go: What You Should Know - Download this free mobile app from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to access information on the safety, science and importance of vaccines.
What is the Harm in Delaying or Spacing Out Vaccines - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia helps parents gain understating of delaying vaccination.

Read the Vaccine Information Statements
- Ask questions so you understand the risks of the diseases and the benefits and risks of the vaccines.
Take the Vaccine Information Statements home with you; 
- You will have them for reference if you need to know what vaccine side effects to expect and what side effects need immediate medical attention.
Keep a personal record of vaccines that you and your children have received.
- Take these records with you to all health-care visits to ensure that you and your children are kept up-to-date on vaccines and so you or your child do not get extra doses of vaccine.
Report severe or unusual reactions to vaccines to your health care provider.
- These reactions will be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System which is a nationwide system for tracking adverse events following immunizations.  
- The system will work only if reactions are reported.

Researchers have studied the meningococcal vaccines very carefully and they are shown to be very safe.

Why should we immunize against diseases we rarely see?
- We need to immunize against diseases we rarely see because they still occur in other parts of the worlds and if we stop vaccinating the diseases will come back.

Is it safe for my baby to receive multiple vaccines at one time?
- Yes, babies’ immune systems can handle much more than they are exposed to with several vaccinations on the same day.

What if we get behind on the vaccine schedule?
- You do not have to start over. Simply make an appointment and pick up the schedule where you left off.

Can I take my child to any county health department in the state to get their vaccinations?
- Yes. However, if your child has health insurance that covers the cost of vaccines, we recommend they receive their vaccines from their primary care physician. However, if your health insurance does not cover the cost of a particular vaccine or you don’t have a doctor, you can take your child to any County Health Department in Oklahoma to receive their vaccines.

Oklahoma law requires parents/guardians of all children attending school, child care facilities, and Head Start programs in this state to submit immunization documentation. This documentation is required before the child is allowed to enter or attend school, child care or Head Start.

Take one or more of the following to school:

A record of your child's vaccinations.
A record showing your child is in the process of receiving the required vaccines.

Additionally:

Students must complete the vaccines on schedule. 
Obtain a schedule to complete the vaccines from your health care provider or clinic and give a copy to the school.

If a Vaccination Exemption is needed:

Oklahoma law allows exemptions for medical, religious or personal reasons.

There is no legal penalty for parents/guardians who obtain exemptions for these reasons. However, unvaccinated children are at greater risk of catching diseases and might be excluded from school, child care or Head Start programs for the duration of a disease outbreak if one occurs. 
Children with specific medical contraindications to any or all immunizations may be allowed to attend if the medical reason is stated and this statement is signed by a licensed physician and submitted to the school, child care facility or Head Start program. Children whose parents object to immunizations based on religious teachings or personal beliefs may seek an exemption.
Lost immunization records are not grounds for an exemption. Parents who have lost their child’s records should contact their local health department or family physician/health care provider. The nurse or doctor can interpret past immunization history, provide any needed immunizations, and create a record for the parent that can then be submitted to the school, child care facility or Head Start program and transcribed for the student’s record.

In the case of a disease outbreak in a school, representatives of the Oklahoma State Department of Health or local health department will visit the school, thoroughly review student immunization records, and make recommendations to the Commissioner of Health on whether students with exemptions should be excluded from school or school functions for the duration of the outbreak.
The Commissioner of Health has the authority to exclude students with exemptions from school for the duration of a disease outbreak. This decision is usually based on the risk of disease transmission in the facility. The risk of transmission depends on the characteristics of the disease and the potential number of susceptible people who could be exposed to it.

Online Portal: Request an Immunization Exemption

Process to Submit an Online Immunization Exemption Request

Create an account.
Submit your exemption online through the portal.
Upon receiving your completed request, Immunization Service will review it and either approve or deny it within 1-3 Business Days.
Upon Immunization Service's approval of your exemption request, you will receive an email notice requiring you to log back into the portal to download the approved exemption certificate.
Parents/Guardians will be responsible for providing the approved exemption certificate to their child's school, child care facility or Head Start program.

County health departments and private doctors do not provide exemption certificates.
Exemption submissions and certificates cannot be submitted or obtained in-person at the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
DISCLAIMER: The Immunization Service reviews all exemptions and approves or disapproves them. If the exemption is not approved, the parent/guardian must complete and submit another exemption request or present an immunization record for the child to attend school, child care or Head Start program.

Process to Submit a Mailed-in Immunization Exemption Request

Certificate for Vaccine Exemption Form (English)
Certificate for Vaccine Exemption Form (Spanish)
Exemption certificates that are not properly completed, missing signatures or missing other information will not be approved. They will be returned to the parent/guardian, school, child care, or Head Start program that submitted the form.
Exemption submission and certificates cannot be submitted or obtained in-person at the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
County health departments and private doctors do not provide exemption certificates.
Mailed-in exemption certificates are processed in the order they are received.
Mailed-in exemption certificates take 3-6 weeks to review, approve and return. During peak seasons, such as the start of a new school year, this review and return time may be extended.
DISCLAIMER: The Immunization Service reviews all exemptions and approves or disapproves them. If the exemption is not approved, the parent/guardian must complete and submit another exemption request or present an immunization record for the child to attend school, child care or Head Start program.

How Long Are Approved Exemption Certificates Good For:

All exemptions submitted prior to a student entering 7th grade shall expire at the end of the student's 6th grade year. Schools should maintain approved exemption certificates in the student file through this duration.
A new exemption request by the parent/guardian should be submitted to the Oklahoma State Department of Health prior to the child entering 7th grade.

There is an additional Tdap immunization requirement for entry into the 7th grade. The childhood immunization guide provides more information on immunization requirements.

Parents/guardians do not have to request a new immunization exemption request each year as the school should maintain a record on file based on the above outlined criteria.
Approved Exemption Certificates should accompany a student when transferring between Oklahoma schools. If a student transfers out of a school, that departing school is not required to maintain an exemption on file for that former student; however, the approved exemption certificate should be transferred as part of the student's record to the new school.
Parents/guardians do not have to request a new immunization exemption request if a child transfers to a new child care facility. An existing and approved exemption certificate, which may include the name of a different facility, may be reused and accepted at the new facility; assuming there have been no changes to the child’s immunization status.