These are the new SC student vaccine requirements for the 2026-27 school year

Fresh off an outbreak of measles in South Carolina, the Department of Public Health is reminding parents of immunization requirements for attending school this fall.

New this year is a requirement of two doses of varicella, commonly known as chickenpox. No vaccine is required if your child has had the highly contagious disease that causes an itchy, fluid-filled blister rash on the face, chest, and back before spreading across the body. It is transmitted through the air by coughing or sneezing or by direct contact with blister fluid.

Also new this year is a requirement for 6th graders to have two doses of hepatitis A vaccine. The highly contagious Hepatitis A is a short-term liver infection transmitted often by ingesting contaminated food or water or through close personal contact with someone who has it, The World Health Organization said.

Other required vaccinations are Hepatitis A; Hepatitis B; DTaP (tetanus, whooping cough); Polio; Measles, Mumps and Rubella; Varicella (chickenpox); and Tdap (whooping cough booster required before seventh grade).

South Carolina’s vaccination rate is 92-93%, which is below 95% needed for herd immunity. The Health Department has a list online of all schools in the state and their vaccination rates. The lowest rates were in religious schools, some as low as 5% or less.

Most public schools reported a rate of 90% or more.

The South Carolina Department of Public Health at the end of last school year updated its list of how long students and staff with certain illnesses must stay out of school.

The list includes a number of illnesses including fever, diarrhea, vomiting as well as communicable diseases and Cyclosporiasis, which has sickened thousands across the country after eating contaminated lettuce and other raw vegetables.

South Carolina, with 16 cases, is so far not considered a primary state for the disease.

The Health Department also has a list of illnesses on its website that are OK for children to attend schools such as canker sores, croup, malaria, lyme disease and pinworms.

Required vaccinations cover 12 diseases that can cause pneumonia and other respiratory infections, meningitis, hepatitis (liver disease), and neurologic diseases, including whooping cough, measles and chicken pox.

The Health Department said measles can cause pneumonia, brain infection, and seizures.

“About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people in the U.S. who get measles is hospitalized and 2-3 per 1,000 will die,” the department said.

In the measles outbreak this past winter, 940 people in Spartanburg County got measles and 36 in Greenville County.

Cases were also reported in Anderson, Pickens, Cherokee, Lancaster and Sumter.

Children 0-17 accounted for 899 cases.

Students must be up to date with required vaccinations or ask for an exception. The department has an online form for that.

“During the last school year, South Carolina experienced the largest outbreak of measles this country has seen in 30 years,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, acting DPH director. “Vaccines are a safe and effective way of protecting our children from diseases like measles.”

Appointments for immunizations can be made at many of DPH’s county health departments by calling 1-855-472-3432 or online using Web Chat. Many pharmacies also offer immunizations.

The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program offers no-cost vaccines for eligible children, including those who are uninsured and underinsured. To find a VFC provider near you, visit DPH’s Find a VFC Provider tool.

“The beginning of the school year is also a great time for parents to talk with their kids about other measures that can help keep themselves and others healthy,” Traxler said. “We encourage parents to remind their kids that covering coughs and sneezes and frequent hand washing can help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses.”