2026 · School entry
Maine school & kindergarten vaccine requirements
To enter kindergarten in Maine, children generally need 4 vaccines — DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR. Below is what each one protects against, how exemptions and provisional enrollment work, and the official Maine source. Hepatitis A is not required for kindergarten entry here.
Key takeaways
- To enter kindergarten in Maine, children generally need 4 vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR.
- No. Maine does not require hepatitis A (HepA) for kindergarten entry, although the CDC still recommends it for children. Your required list is DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR.
- Maine exemptions: medical available; religious not available; personal belief not available. Confirm on the official source.
- Only DTaP/IPV/MMR/Varicella required at K. HepB childcare only; HepA not required. Medical exemptions only.
Which vaccines does Maine require for kindergarten?
Each card links to a full guide for that vaccine — brands, ingredients, and how a delayed schedule changes the dose count.
Maine specifics
Only DTaP/IPV/MMR/Varicella required at K. HepB childcare only; HepA not required. Medical exemptions only.
What does Maine say about exemptions?
- Medical Available
- Religious Not available
- Personal belief Not available
How does the process work?
Since September 1, 2021 (P.L. 2021, ch. 154), only medical exemptions are allowed, and they must be issued by the student's primary care provider. Students with an IEP who held a religious or philosophical exemption on or before that date may keep it under conditions set in the law.
Maine CDC - Maine Vaccine Laws ↗ (opens in a new tab)
This summarizes what the state's own pages say, reviewed September 30, 2026. It is not advice for or against any option. Laws and forms change; confirm with your school or health department. Compare all states in the exemptions overview, or see glossary definitions.
What is provisional enrollment?
Many states permit provisional or conditional enrollment, which lets a child start school while still catching up on a series that has already been started. Rules and time limits vary, so ask your school. The catch-up guide explains how remaining doses are counted.
Where are Maine's official requirements?
The authoritative reference for Maine is the state's own published requirements. Always verify dose counts, grade ranges, and exemptions there — those details change and are not all captured here.
Maine CDC — Immunization Requirements for Schools →
More questions about Maine school vaccines
Which vaccines does Maine require for kindergarten?
For kindergarten entry, Maine requires 4 vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR. These protect against diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis); polio; measles, mumps, rubella. Dose counts and grade ranges can vary — always confirm on the official Maine source.
Does Maine require the hepatitis A vaccine for school?
No. Maine does not require hepatitis A (HepA) for kindergarten entry, although the CDC still recommends it for children. Your required list is DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR.
Can my child start school in Maine on a delayed vaccine schedule?
Often it can. A slower, spaced-out schedule can still satisfy Maine's rules as long as the required series (DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR) are finished — or, in many districts, in progress under provisional/conditional enrollment — by the first day of school. The free planner builds a plan that finishes every required vaccine in time. Confirm the specifics with your school district and your child's healthcare practitioner.
Does Maine allow vaccine exemptions?
Maine: Medical exemptions are available, religious exemptions are not available, and personal-belief exemptions are not available. Since September 1, 2021 (P.L. 2021, ch. 154), only medical exemptions are allowed, and they must be issued by the student's primary care provider. Students with an IEP who held a religious or philosophical exemption on or before that date may keep it under conditions set in the law. Rules and forms change, so confirm with Maine CDC - Maine Vaccine Laws or your school.
Plan Maine-ready vaccinations on a slower schedule
Want to space shots out but still finish every required vaccine before the first day of school? Build a spaced-out, minimum-dose plan you can review with your child's healthcare practitioner.
Build my plan →Sources
The state's own page is the authority; the others are cross-checks.