School nurse outlines Ohio Department of Health vaccine requirements for Westerville students
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
Jessica Gilbert, a school nurse at Westerville South High School, summarized Ohio Department of Health vaccine requirements for school attendance, listing required vaccines, dose counts, and grade-linked timing for Tdap and meningococcal doses. Preschool dosing was noted but some transcript timing units were not specified.
Jessica Gilbert, a school nurse with Westerville City (Regular School District), outlined Ohio Department of Health requirements for student immunizations during a presentation at Westerville South High School. She listed required vaccines and highlighted timing rules parents should note.
Gilbert said the graphic the district uses comes from the Ohio Department of Health and “explains what immunizations are required for school attendance.” She listed required vaccines and dose counts: DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), four or more doses; hepatitis B, three or more doses; MMR, two doses; polio, three or more doses; and varicella (chickenpox), three or more doses. She also named Tdap (one dose) and meningococcal ACWY (MCV4) among the required immunizations.
On timing, Gilbert emphasized that dose timing can affect whether an immunization meets the school requirement. “Your student's Tdap must be given after the student's tenth birthday,” she said, and noted that Tdap is required for seventh grade. She said meningococcal ACWY is given in two doses: “The first dose must be given after the student's tenth birthday, and it is required for seventh grade. And the second dose is given after the student turns 16 and is required for twelfth grade.”
Gilbert also addressed preschool requirements, saying preschool students need the same vaccines listed earlier along with Hib (she cited four doses) and an annual influenza immunization. The transcript records Gilbert stating dose ranges—"Between 0 and 14, they will get 3 to 4 doses. And then between 15 and 59, they will receive 1 dose"—but the transcript does not specify the units for those ranges; parents should consult Ohio Department of Health guidance or school health staff for exact age or timing details.
She additionally said hepatitis A requires two doses “that are both given after 12 of age,” language that appears in the transcript without a specified unit. Gilbert closed by thanking listeners for allowing her to explain the immunization requirements for school attendance.
Parents and guardians seeking to confirm whether a student meets the district’s immunization requirements should consult the Ohio Department of Health guidance or contact Westerville City school health staff for exact timing and documentation requirements.