2026 · School entry
Mississippi school & kindergarten vaccine requirements
To enter kindergarten in Mississippi, children generally need 5 vaccines — DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB. Below is what each one protects against, how exemptions and provisional enrollment work, and the official Mississippi source. Hepatitis A is not required for kindergarten entry here.
Key takeaways
- To enter kindergarten in Mississippi, children generally need 5 vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB.
- No. Mississippi 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, HepB.
- Mississippi exemptions: medical available; religious available; personal belief not available. Confirm on the official source.
- Standard core. Religious exemptions accepted since 2023 following a federal court order.
Which vaccines does Mississippi require for kindergarten?
Each card links to a full guide for that vaccine — brands, ingredients, and how a delayed schedule changes the dose count.
Mississippi specifics
Standard core. Religious exemptions accepted since 2023 following a federal court order.
What does Mississippi say about exemptions?
- Medical Available
- Religious Available
- Personal belief Not available
How does the process work?
Medical: a licensed Mississippi pediatrician, family physician or internist completes Form 139-M. Religious: the parent completes Form 139-R and submits it at a county health department appointment, where they view a vaccine education video and speak with an MSDH nurse; if complete, the State Epidemiologist signs it and the parent gives the resulting Form 122 to the school. MSDH describes the religious Form 122 as permanent, with a copy submitted to the school each year. Religious exemptions have been available since a 2023 federal court order.
MSDH - Vaccine Exemptions ↗ (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 Mississippi's official requirements?
The authoritative reference for Mississippi 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.
immunize.org — HepB school requirements (2025) →
More questions about Mississippi school vaccines
Which vaccines does Mississippi require for kindergarten?
For kindergarten entry, Mississippi requires 5 vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB. 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 Mississippi source.
Does Mississippi require the hepatitis A vaccine for school?
No. Mississippi 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, HepB.
Can my child start school in Mississippi on a delayed vaccine schedule?
Often it can. A slower, spaced-out schedule can still satisfy Mississippi's rules as long as the required series (DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB) 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 Mississippi allow vaccine exemptions?
Mississippi: Medical exemptions are available, religious exemptions are available, and personal-belief exemptions are not available. Medical: a licensed Mississippi pediatrician, family physician or internist completes Form 139-M. Religious: the parent completes Form 139-R and submits it at a county health department appointment, where they view a vaccine education video and speak with an MSDH nurse; if complete, the State Epidemiologist signs it and the parent gives the resulting Form 122 to the school. MSDH describes the religious Form 122 as permanent, with a copy submitted to the school each year. Religious exemptions have been available since a 2023 federal court order. Rules and forms change, so confirm with MSDH - Vaccine Exemptions or your school.
Plan Mississippi-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.