Students entering sixth grade will need an additional vaccination starting next school year.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is requiring all students to receive the tetanus, diphtheria and pertusis vaccine if five years or more have passed since the child's last vaccination. The new requirement is due to a recent state and national increase in cases of pertusis, also known as the whooping cough.
Parents will be asked to show a copy of their child's official shots record to the school.
"The rule change was made because of the number of North Carolina whooping cough cases primarily affecting teenagers and adults," said Amanda Dayton, adolescent immunization coordinator for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Children receive a similar vaccine – tetanus, diphtheria toxoid – before entering kindergarten, but officials have noticed immunity to the diseases wains after about 10 years.
Students entering college for the first time after July 1 also will be required to get the vaccine if they haven't been vaccinated with either vaccine in the last 10 years.
"If a child gets whooping cough, they're probably out of school a few days or weeks," Dayton said.
The vaccine will protect the student and possibly any younger siblings who could catch the whooping cough, she said.
Since the vaccination announcement was made earlier this year, the Twin Counties' school districts and health departments are working on getting the word out.
Information packets will go home with Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools fifth-graders' next report card to inform parents about the change. Nurses at each school are working with the principals, and a Connect-Ed message will go out to parents, said Carol Eatman, coordinator of Nash-Rocky Mount's nurses.
Edgecombe County Public Schools received its information packets from the state on the new change this week and will send home fliers with students. Parents will be contacted through Connect-Ed as a heads up to look for the information in their child's backpack, said school nurse Heather Campbell.
School officials said parents should contact their local health care provider for the vaccine. The Nash County Health Department and Edgecombe County Health Department also will be administering the vaccine.
