Nov 5, 2015 1 min read

HARRISBURG – The state departments of Health and Education said they’ll seek changes to immunization regulations for schoolchildren that they said will better protect students from illness.

The departments said Thursday that they would begin seeking regulatory approval to strengthen the current requirements.

Those changes would include requiring students to receive their final dose within the first five school days, or at least show a health-care provider’s plan to complete a multi-dose immunization.

Currently, children can’t start school if they are missing the first dose of a vaccine.

The proposal also would add vaccination requirements, including a pertussis vaccine and a dose of meningococcal vaccine for students before they start 12th grade.

The regulations apply to children in public, private, parochial, charter and a variety of other nonpublic schools.