Waltham Public Schools vaccine policy for this year

Waltham Public Schools will not change its vaccine policy or protocols for the 2025-26 school year despite changes in federal health policies, according to school officials.

The schools will continue to follow the Massachusetts Department of Public Health vaccine requirements, said Christine Young, director of nursing for Waltham Public Schools, in an emailed statement.

“School immunization requirements help protect our students and their communities from serious vaccine-preventable diseases by maintaining high vaccination coverage,” she said. “At WPS we are dedicated to helping families get any and all vaccinations.”

Federal vaccine policy has shifted dramatically in the last few months under the current administration. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health and Human Services, recently replaced everyone on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory panel. The replacements include vocal vaccine skeptics. Kennedy has also been known to question the effectiveness of vaccines.

Despite the uncertainty, WPS remains committed to its usual vaccine requirements. The exact vaccine schedule can be found on the WPS Health Services and Nursing page.

Students must continue to have all vaccine requirements, show proof of immunity, or provide documentation of being on a catch-up schedule in order to start school, said Young.

An exception to this is the Every Student Succeeds Act, a federal law that says homeless children and children in foster care cannot be denied entry to public schools if they do not have immunization records, even if they are currently fully or partially unvaccinated.

According to Young, WPS nurses work very closely with these families and students to get them a primary care provider at a local community health center and get them the necessary vaccines.

As per state law, WPS allows for both medical and religious exemptions from the mandatory vaccinations, said Young.

“Our district has very few religious and medical exemptions,” she said.

According to Young, more than 98% of the Waltham Public Schools’ student population is fully vaccinated. 

Some of the 2% that are not fully vaccinated are made up of students who are on a catch-up schedule and students who are of age for their next set of vaccines but have doctor’s appointments in the future.

Young also said that WPS runs a Flu/Covid clinic every fall in every building for any staff who would like their yearly vaccine. It also runs four community Flu/Covid clinics in the fall to provide ease of access to vaccinations for students and parents.

“WPS nurses work very hard every day for each and every student in our district,” said Young. “We are dedicated to advocate, educate, and empower students, families, and staff through culturally sensitive, evidence-based care that will positively affect their lives.”