Seventh-Graders May Need New Round Of Vaccinations

ST. PAUL (AP) - Some students entering the seventh grade this year may need another round of vaccinations.

A new Minnesota state rule requires those students to show they've received the vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough, as well as a bacterial meningitis vaccine.

The new requirements were approved last year to bring the state into line with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and other public health groups.

Whooping cough peaked in Minnesota in 2012 with more than 4,600 cases reported. This year, about 560 cases have been reported.

Health providers also recommend an immunization for the cancer-causing human papillomavirus, or HPV, beginning at age 11.

Parents can choose not to have their child vaccinated, but must provide schools with notarized medical or philosophical exemption forms.