News: Official Immunization Certificate Law Reminder

This is a reminder of state law (T.C.A. 49-6-5002) requiring the use of the Official Immunization Certificate provided by the Tennessee Department of Health to enroll children in schools and pre-schools statewide. Since 1986, this certificate, signed by a physician or health care provider administering immunizations, has been the only form that schools and pre-schools may accept as proof of immunization for student enrollment.

Immunization records must be documented on the certificate, not attached to it. The law does not allow the use of unofficial immunization certificates that may be available in some electronic medical record systems. Parents without a properly completed Official Immunization Certificate can be turned away at registration in order to have their health care provider or health department complete one properly.

Help parents enroll in school smoothly by providing parents only the fully complete Official Immunization Certificate. Parents who move from out of state and bring immunization records from another state may have those records transcribed by their new Tennessee health care provider or by a local health department. Children behind on immunizations may be enrolled using an Official Temporary Immunization Certificate after beginning a catch-up immunization schedule.

There are two ways to obtain copies of Tennessee’s Official Immunization School and Pre-School Certificates:

1. Copies are available at local health departments; contact them to provide copies to your office
2. Registered users of the Tennessee Web Immunization System (TWIS) may download copies of the Official Certificate. As an added benefit, all required immunizations in the state immunization registry will be pre-populated on the child’s certificate print out. To learn how to register for free TWIS access, visit https://twis.tn.gov/twisprod/ or call (615) 253-8667.

For questions about the Official Immunization Certificate or immunizations in general, contact your local health department or the Tennessee Immunization Program at 1-800-404-3006. For questions about Department of Education enrollment policies, contact the local educational authorities in your area or the Department of Education Coordinated School Health Program.

See the official letter from the Tennessee Department of Health (July 17, 2008) PDF