BMS/RHS Health Office
Teresa Costakis RN, Sue Hart LPN Phone: (845)-871-5500, Ext. 5536 Fax: 876-5581
Stay active, eat healthy, and get a good night's sleep to boost your immunity. Stay socially distant, wear your masks, wash your hands, avoid touching your face, cover all coughs and sneezes, and stay home if you are sick.
All health forms and physician's orders may be emailed to me (in PDF only) (NO Photos please) at: [email protected]
Please note that after January 2021- physical exams must be completed on the NYS form.
physical form 2023.pdf -This is the only form accepted.
PLEASE GET YOUR FLU SHOT and COVID-19 Vaccine, when available-to protect yourself and others.
Please visit my Health Tips pages (on the left) for information on "Covid-19", "Flu", and "When to send to school or keep home".
Covid Mental health resource- NY Project Hope Coping with COVID.docx
Need help? Contact the Local Health Department-845-486-3402 for questions or concerns if you do not have a health care provider.
Sun River Healthcare-can assist families without insurance to see a health care provider -845-454-8204 in Poughkeepsie, or 845-768-1990 in Kingston
NEW: Asthmatics are advised to carry a spacer along with their inhalers to ensure safe and adequate delivery of their inhaler's medication. Please be sure to get updated orders from your physicians.
summer heat.pdf
Heat-related illnesses occur when the body is unable to cool itself. The
most common heat-related illnesses are heat stroke (sun stroke), heat
exhaustion, heat cramps and heat rash. Click on the link for the symptoms and
first-aid responses.
BMI survey information and opt out letter.docx
NYSScreenExamReq2018.pdf
Please note that the school nurse will notify the parent/guardian of any abnormal screening results.
Screening requirements have been modified for 20-21.
Tick Borne Disease Awareness Month.pdf
Learn how to keep your family and pets safe.
Lighten up those backpacks 
to lessen fatigue and injury!
Dear Parents/Guardians: 
Sport Physicals are required yearly. Please be sure your health care provider completes the full NYS Health Examination form in its entirety and provide a copy to the health office.(No photos please.)
An updated health history will be required on Arbiter/Family ID-accessed through the school's athletic webpage, no more than 30 days prior to the start of a sport season. Check the athletic page for updates.
Students must have new orders for any medications- inhalers and EpiPens each new school year.
DentalHealthCertificate.docx-this form is optional but is requested at the time of grade required physicals.
In accordance with Public Health Law,
Immunization Information:
ALL Students entering grade 6 must have one Tdap and 2 Varicella vaccines
All Students entering 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th-one dose of meningococcal vaccine. Students entering grade 12- need 2 doses, unless the first dose was administered at age 16 or older.
Without the vaccine or a confirmed appointment, they can't attend school after 14 days per public health law.
Check with your doctor. Even kids who have had a shot before may need a booster to start school.
To learn more, visit health.ny.gov/immunize
2023-24 School Year
New York State Immunization Requirements for School Entrance/Attendance1
NOTES:
All children must be age-appropriately immunized to attend school in NYS. The number of doses depends on the schedule
recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Intervals between doses of vaccine must be in accordance with the “ACIP-Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule.” Doses received before the minimum age or intervals are not valid and do not count toward the number of doses listed below. See footnotes for specific information for each vaccine. Children who are enrolling in grade-less classes must meet the immunization requirements of the grades for which they are age equivalent.
Dose requirements MUST be read with the footnotes of this schedule
|
Vaccines
|
PreKindergarten
(Day Care,
Head Start,
Nursery or Pre-K)
|
Kindergarten and Grades 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
|
Grades
6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11
|
Grade 12
|
|
Diphtheria and Tetanus toxoid-containing vaccine and Pertussis vaccine (DTaP/DTP/Tdap/Td)2
|
4 doses
|
5 doses or 4 doses
if the 4th dose was received at 4 years or older or
3 doses
if 7 years or older and the series was started at 1 year or older
|
3 doses
|
|
Tetanus and Diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine and Pertussis vaccine adolescent booster (Tdap)3
|
|
Not applicable
|
1 dose
|
|
Polio vaccine (IPV/OPV)4
|
3 doses
|
4 doses or 3 doses
if the 3rd dose was received at 4 years or older
|
|
Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine (MMR)5
|
1 dose
|
2 doses
|
|
Hepatitis B vaccine6
|
3 doses
|
3 doses
or 2 doses of adult hepatitis B vaccine (Recombivax) for children who received the doses at least 4 months apart between the ages of 11 through 15 years
|
|
Varicella (Chickenpox) vaccine7
|
1 dose
|
2 doses
|
|
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY)8
|
|
Not applicable
|
Grades
7, 8, 9, 10 and 11:
1 dose
|
2 doses
or 1 dose
if the dose
was received
at 16 years
or older
|
|
Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (Hib)9
|
1 to 4 doses
|
Not applicable
|
|
Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine (PCV)10
|
1 to 4 doses
|
Not applicable
|
Department of Health
- Demonstrated serologic evidence of measles, mumps or rubella antibodies or laboratory confirmation of these diseases is acceptable proof of immunity to these diseases. Serologic tests for polio are acceptable proof of immunity only if the test was performed before September 1, 2019, and all three serotypes were positive. A positive blood test for hepatitis B surface antibody is acceptable proof of immunity to hepatitis B. Demonstrated serologic evidence of varicella antibodies, laboratory confirmation of varicella disease or diagnosis by a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner that a child has had varicella disease is acceptable proof of immunity to varicella.
- Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine.
(Minimum age: 6 weeks)
- Children starting the series on time should receive a 5-dose series
of DTaP vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and at 15 through 18 months and at 4 years or older. The fourth dose may be received as early as age 12 months, provided at least 6 months have elapsed since the third dose. However, the fourth dose of DTaP need not be repeated if it was administered at least 4 months after the third dose of DTaP. The final dose in the series must be received on or after the fourth birthday and at least 6 months after the previous dose.
- If the fourth dose of DTaP was administered at 4 years or older, and at least 6 months after dose 3, the fifth (booster) dose of DTaP vaccine is not required.
- Children 7 years and older who are not fully immunized with the childhood DTaP vaccine series should receive Tdap vaccine as the first dose in the catch-up series; if additional doses are needed, use Td or Tdap vaccine. If the first dose was received before their first birthday, then 4 doses are required, as long as the final dose was received at 4 years or older. If the first dose was received on or after the first birthday, then 3 doses are required, as long as the final dose was received at 4 years or older.
- Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis (Tdap) adolescent booster vaccine. (Minimum age for grades 6 through 9: 10 years; minimum age for grades 10, 11, and 12: 7 years)
- Students 11 years or older entering grades 6 through 12 are required to have one dose of Tdap.
- In addition to the grade 6 through 12 requirement, Tdap may also be given as part of the catch-up series for students 7 years of age and older who are not fully immunized with the childhood DTaP series, as described above. In school year 2023-2024, only doses of Tdap given at age 10 years or older will satisfy the Tdap requirement for students in grades 6 through 9; however, doses of Tdap given at age 7 years or older will satisfy the requirement for students in grades 10, 11, and 12.
- Students who are 10 years old in grade 6 and who have not yet received a Tdap vaccine are in compliance until they turn 11 years old.
- Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) or oral polio vaccine (OPV). (Minimum age:
6 weeks)
a. Children starting the series on time should receive a series of IPV at
2 months, 4 months and at 6 through 18 months, and at 4 years or older. The final dose in the series must be received on or after the fourth birthday and at least 6 months after the previous dose.
- For students who received their fourth dose before age 4 and prior to August 7, 2010, 4 doses separated by at least 4 weeks is sufficient.
- If the third dose of polio vaccine was received at 4 years or older and at least 6 months after the previous dose, the fourth dose of polio vaccine is not required.
- For children with a record of OPV, only trivalent OPV (tOPV) counts toward NYS school polio vaccine requirements. Doses of OPV given before April 1, 2016, should be counted unless specifically noted as monovalent, bivalent or as given during a poliovirus immunization campaign. Doses of OPV given on or after April 1, 2016, must not be counted.
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. (Minimum age: 12 months)
- The first dose of MMR vaccine must have been received on or after the first birthday. The second dose must have been received at least 28 days (4 weeks) after the first dose to be considered valid.
- Measles: One dose is required for prekindergarten. Two doses are required for grades kindergarten through 12.
- Mumps: One dose is required for prekindergarten. Two doses are required for grades kindergarten through 12.
- Rubella: At least one dose is required for all grades (prekindergarten through 12).
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- Dose 1 may be given at birth or anytime thereafter. Dose 2 must be
given at least 4 weeks (28 days) after dose 1. Dose 3 must be at least 8 weeks after dose 2 AND at least 16 weeks after dose 1 AND no earlier than age 24 weeks (when 4 doses are given, substitute “dose 4” for “dose 3” in these calculations).
- Two doses of adult hepatitis B vaccine (Recombivax) received at least 4 months apart at age 11 through 15 years will meet the requirement.
- Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine. (Minimum age: 12 months)
- The first dose of varicella vaccine must have been received on or after the first birthday. The second dose must have been received at least 28 days (4 weeks) after the first dose to be considered valid.
- For children younger than 13 years, the recommended minimum interval
between doses is 3 months (if the second dose was administered at least 4 weeks after the first dose, it can be accepted as valid); for persons 13 years and older, the minimum interval between doses is 4 weeks.
- Meningococcal conjugate ACWY vaccine (MenACWY). (Minimum age for grades 7 through 10: 10 years; minimum age for grades 11 and 12: 6 weeks). a. One dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Menactra, Menveo or MenQuadfi) is required for students entering grades 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11.
- For students in grade 12, if the first dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine was received at 16 years or older, the second (booster) dose is not required.
- The second dose must have been received at 16 years or older. The minimum interval between doses is 8 weeks.
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate vaccine. (Minimum age:
6 weeks)
- Children starting the series on time should receive Hib vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and at 12 through 15 months. Children older than 15 months must get caught up according to the ACIP catch-up schedule. The final dose must be received on or after 12 months.
- If 2 doses of vaccine were received before age 12 months, only 3 doses are required with dose 3 at 12 through 15 months and at least 8 weeks after dose 2.
- If dose 1 was received at age 12 through 14 months, only 2 doses are required with dose 2 at least 8 weeks after dose 1.
- If dose 1 was received at 15 months or older, only 1 dose is required.
- Hib vaccine is not required for children 5 years or older.
- For further information, refer to the CDC Catch-Up Guidance for Healthy Children 4 Months through 4 Years of Age.
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). (Minimum age: 6 weeks)
- Children starting the series on time should receive PCV vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and at 12 through 15 months. Children older than 15 months must get caught up according to the ACIP catch-up schedule. The final dose must be received on or after 12 months.
- Unvaccinated children ages 7 through 11 months are required to receive 2 doses, at least 4 weeks apart, followed by a third dose at 12 through 15 months.
- Unvaccinated children ages 12 through 23 months are required to receive 2 doses of vaccine at least 8 weeks apart.
- If one dose of vaccine was received at 24 months or older, no further doses are required.
- PCV is not required for children 5 years or older.
- For further information, refer to the CDC Catch-Up Guidance for Healthy Children 4 Months through 4 Years of Age.
For further information, contact:
New York State Department of Health
Bureau of Immunization
Room 649, Corning Tower ESP
Albany, NY 12237
(518) 473-4437
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Program Support Unit, Bureau of Immunization,
42-09 28th Street, 5th floor
Long Island City, NY 11101
(347) 396-2433
New York State Department of Health/Bureau of Immunization
2370 health.ny.gov/immunization
is Protection.
Click the link below for a copy of the flyer:
meningococcal vaccine flyer
Med Pick Up- Next Year web site post_2.docx