2026 · School entry
Texas school & kindergarten vaccine requirements
To enter kindergarten in Texas, children generally need 6 vaccines — DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA. Below is what each one protects against, how exemptions and provisional enrollment work, and the official Texas source. Note that this jurisdiction also requires hepatitis A.
Key takeaways
- To enter kindergarten in Texas, children generally need 6 vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA.
- Yes. Texas requires the hepatitis A (HepA) vaccine for school entry. Confirm the exact grades and dose timing on the official source, as HepA rules vary the most between states.
- Texas exemptions: medical available; religious available; personal belief available. Confirm on the official source.
- HepA required K-12 (2 doses). Provisional enrollment allowed if 1st dose received within past 6 months.
Which vaccines does Texas require for kindergarten?
Each card links to a full guide for that vaccine — brands, ingredients, and how a delayed schedule changes the dose count.
Texas specifics
HepA required K-12 (2 doses). Provisional enrollment allowed if 1st dose received within past 6 months.
What does Texas say about exemptions?
- Medical Available
- Religious Available
- Personal belief Available
How does the process work?
Reasons of conscience (including religious belief) require the official DSHS affidavit (stock form F11-11755), which must be notarized and given to the school or child care; it is valid for two years from the notary date. Since Sept 1, 2025 (HB 1586) the blank form can be downloaded from DSHS or requested by mail, fax, online or in person. Medical: a signed statement from a licensed physician, typically valid one year.
Texas DSHS - Immunization Exemptions ↗ (opens in a new tab) Official form ↗ (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 Texas's official requirements?
The authoritative reference for Texas 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.
Texas DSHS — School Immunization Requirements →
More questions about Texas school vaccines
Which vaccines does Texas require for kindergarten?
For kindergarten entry, Texas requires 6 vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA. 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 Texas source.
Does Texas require the hepatitis A vaccine for school?
Yes. Texas requires the hepatitis A (HepA) vaccine for school entry. Confirm the exact grades and dose timing on the official source, as HepA rules vary the most between states.
Can my child start school in Texas on a delayed vaccine schedule?
Often it can. A slower, spaced-out schedule can still satisfy Texas's rules as long as the required series (DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB, HepA) 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 Texas allow vaccine exemptions?
Texas: Medical exemptions are available, religious exemptions are available, and personal-belief exemptions are available. Reasons of conscience (including religious belief) require the official DSHS affidavit (stock form F11-11755), which must be notarized and given to the school or child care; it is valid for two years from the notary date. Since Sept 1, 2025 (HB 1586) the blank form can be downloaded from DSHS or requested by mail, fax, online or in person. Medical: a signed statement from a licensed physician, typically valid one year. Rules and forms change, so confirm with Texas DSHS - Immunization Exemptions or your school.
Plan Texas-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.