LM May 2025

School Immunization Toolkit Free Resource to Help Keep Students in School

Story submitted by Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

The Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) represents pediatricians across the state. Over the last six months, ICAAP has worked to create a resource to help achieve a goal pediatricians and school leaders share: to help children learn, attend school, socialize, and participate in activities. Keeping children healthy and safe from disease allows all those things to happen. As respected leaders in school communities, School Administrators can encourage students and their families to stay up to date with routine and required immunizations. Vaccines are a safe and critical tool in preventing the spread of infectious diseases, reducing the risk of outbreaks, and protecting individuals and entire com munities. When children are healthy, they spend more time at school, participating in group activities, and grow into resilient, well-rounded adults. The School Immunizations Toolkit is full of resources to help increase vaccine confidence and maximize vaccine compli ance. It was created in collaboration with the Illinois Depart ment of Public Health, Chicago Department of Public Health, Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Association of School Nurses, and Chicago Public Schools. Through this toolkit, School Administrators and other school leaders can utilize

customizable, comprehensive, and ready-to-go materials, including: • Simplified breakdown of the minimum immunization require ments by grade for all Illinois schools, childcare facilities, and pre-kindergarten programs. • Outreach materials for parents and guardians, available in English and Spanish. • Customizable email templates and handouts to guardians about the Certificate of Child Health Examination form and vaccine requirements by grade. • Social media toolkits with messaging tailored to school communities. • Sample timelines for outreach to maximize vaccine-confident messages on social media and other school communication channels. • A list of recommended but not required immunizations that are just as important to protecting and strengthening a child’s health from preventable diseases, and even some cancers. • An adolescent-specific vaccination handout that helps inform parents and guardians of adolescents of the required and recommended immunizations

10 LM May 2025