State sets new vaccine requirements

A booster dose of the childhood vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, called Tdap, will be required for most North Carolina students entering the sixth grade and for students going to college for the first time.

The new rules, approved Monday by the state Commission for Public Health, also mandate a second dose of mumps vaccine for all children before enrolling in school, college or university.

The changes put North Carolina immunization rules in line with national recommendations, which were changed in recent years to encourage additional vaccine coverage for mumps and pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough.

Most children are fully protected against whooping cough before entering kindergarten, but immunity wanes after about 10 years. In recent years, cases of whooping cough have been rising nationally.

The new state immunization requirements are designed to reduce the incidence of whooping cough and mumps in North Carolina, said Beth Rowe-West, head of the state immunization branch. Both shots will be available at no cost to all children through the state's Universal Vaccine Program.

Most children receive two doses of mumps vaccine in standard immunizations. Parents are encouraged to contact their child's pediatrician to determine whether the shot is required.