Introduction
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that U.S. children and adolescents be vaccinated against 17 diseases. Childhood immunizations have reduced the incidence of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) by more than 90% (CDC, 2019a). Vaccines provide community protection where vaccination rates are above 95%, thereby offering protection to vulnerable populations who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons (CDC, 2019a).
As vaccine rates in the United States decline, and cases of vaccine-preventable illness increase, access for parents and caregivers to reliable information about childhood immunizations is crucial. School nurses are trusted to deliver accurate health information. School nurses are strongly positioned within their communities to educate students, families, and school staff about the critical role of vaccines in preventing disease, promoting student and staff health and school attendance.
Refer to the History of Vaccines, a living chronicle, for more about vaccines and their history.
NASN Resources
Position Statements
National Association of School Nurses. (2025). Immunization and Vaccination Requirements (Position Statement). Silver Spring, MD.
National Association of School Nurses. (2020). The school health services team: Supporting student outcomes (Position Statement). Silver Spring, MD.
Learning Center Programs
Focus on Fall: Respiratory Illness Vaccines to Support Student and Staff Wellness
Immunization 101: A primer on school recommended vaccinations
School-Located Vaccination: Role of School Nurses in Improving Student Vaccination
Vaccine Hesitancy and the School Nurses Role to Alleviate Parent’s Concerns
Journal Articles: NASN School Nurse
School-Located Vaccination Clinics | NASN School Nurse Supplement
Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy Among Students and Families: Interventions for School Nurses
Champions for School Health—An NASN Initiative to Increase Vaccine Confidence, Equity, and Uptake in COVID-19 and School-Required Vaccinations: Part 1
Champions for School Health—An NASN Initiative to Increase Vaccine Confidence, Equity, and Uptake in COVID-19 and School-Required Vaccinations: Part 2
Key Challenges and Opportunities for Implementing School Located Vaccination Clinics for COVID-19 and Influenza: Roundtables With School Nurses and Immunization Programs
Journal Articles: The Journal of School Nursing
U.S. Parental Vaccine Hesitancy and the COVID-19 Vaccine: A Scoping Review
An Exploratory Study of an Online Vaccine Education Program in Middle-School Students to Promote Vaccine Acceptance