Richmond and Henrico Health Districts urge school-required vaccines
Richmond and Henrico Health Districts officials are encouraging parents and caregivers to schedule school-required vaccination appointments as soon as possible before the start of the new school year.
Vaccines can be obtained at primary care providers, pharmacies, urgent care clinics, and from RHHD.
“Put vaccinations at the top of your back-to-school list,” said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Acting Director Melissa Viray. “Schedule a vaccine appointment today and give your child the best possible start to the school year. Don’t let preventable diseases keep children out of school, sports, and the activities they enjoy.”
The Virginia Childhood Immunization Schedule includes vaccines that protect children from a variety of diseases. Diseases such as measles and human papillomavirus can lead to some of the most serious outcomes.
Two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles. The MMR vaccine is routinely recommended for children in two doses. The first dose is given at 12 to 15 months, and the second dose is given at 4-6 years. As of Aug. 6, Virginia had reported 177 cases of measles, including 155 cases in the Central Region. Unvaccinated people accounted for 95% of all measles cases in Virginia in 2026. By comparison, there were five measles cases in Virginia in all of 2025.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is the best way to protect children from developing several forms of cancer later in life. HPV vaccination is routinely recommended at age 11 or 12. Catch-up vaccination is recommended for everyone through age 26 who did not start or finish the series earlier.
The Code of Virginia requires children entering daycare, public and private schools to give proof of vaccination before enrolling in school. Virginia schools require immunizations for entry into kindergarten, seventh grade, and 12th grade. These vaccines should be given based on the schedule recommended by the Virginia Department of Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Virginia residents can securely access their vaccination records through the confidential electronic portal managed by VDH.
Families can schedule appointments for school-required vaccines through their primary care provider, local pharmacies, urgent care facilities, community partners, and RHHD clinics. Parents and caregivers can visit rhhd.gov/childhoodvax for details about scheduling childhood vaccine appointments.
For help finding a local primary care provider, visit rhhd.gov/connect-pc. Virginia Vaccines for Children providers offer no-cost vaccines to children (younger than 19 years of age) who are uninsured or underinsured; Medicaid-eligible or Medicaid-enrolled; and/or American Indian or Alaska Native. Families can search for a VVFC provider near them by using rhhd.gov/vfc.
RHHD offers vaccination appointments for children and adults at its Cary Street (804-205-3500), Henrico East (804-652-3190) and Henrico West (804-501-4001) clinics. Bilingual-in-Spanish staff are available at all locations.
Visit Henrico Public Schools for more information or rhhd.gov for more health and safety information.
