Immunization requirements to attend camp in Colorado

Colorado camps create a healthy and safe environment for children to learn and grow. 

Routine vaccination can prevent the spread of diseases like measles, mumps, varicella (chickenpox), whooping cough, and others, so kids can just be kids.

Vaccines are:

• Powerful tools of prevention that help kids stay healthy and enjoying summer camp
• Proven to be the best defense against many serious illnesses
• Widely available for no or low cost in Colorado and across the U.S.
  • If you reside outside of Colorado, contact your child’s health care provider or your local public health agency for information on accessing vaccines in your area.  

Families should be aware that children and adolescents with vaccine exemptions may be kept out of camp during an outbreak. The length of time will vary depending on the type of disease and the circumstances of the outbreak.

For example, if someone at your child’s camp becomes sick with measles and your child is not up to date on their MMR vaccines, they may need to be immediately excluded from camp and other activities for at least 21 days.  

1. Know the requirements:

Colorado law requires all children attending Colorado overnight and day camps to be vaccinated against certain diseases unless an exemption is on file at the camp.

Before a child’s first day of camp, Colorado law requires parents or guardians to provide each camp their child attends with at least one of the following:

A: An immunization record showing that the child has received camp-required vaccines and is up to date according to their age,

B: An in-process plan signed by the child’s health care provider showing that the child is in the process of catching up on missing vaccine(s) following the minimum intervals between doses described in the catch-up schedule, 

C: A Certificate of Medical or Nonmedical Exemption for any missing doses of school-required vaccine(s) 

To meet the requirements, campers may have one or a combination of these documents for the different camp-required vaccines.

For example, a school-age camper’s immunization file could contain the following: 

• An immunization record showing they are up to date for HepB, DTaP, and IPV,
• A Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption for MMR, and
• An in-process plan showing they are catching up for varicella

In addition to following the law, parents and guardians must follow their camp’s policy regarding when immunization documentation is due. 

2. Prepare to meet the requirements:

Before your child’s first day of camp, you must provide each camp your child attends with the following documentation:

This table is for school-age campers (kindergarten through 12th grade)

*If your child is or was behind on routine vaccines, the number of doses may vary:

Colorado’s K-12 immunization table can help you and your child’s health care provider determine if your child has the required doses.

If your child is 5 and has not started kindergarten:

Colorado’s child care and preschool immunization table can help you and your child’s health care provider determine if your child has the required doses. 

Your child’s health care provider or local public health agency can help your child catch up on the vaccines your child needs. 

3. Continue to meet the requirements: 

Parents or guardians must provide each camp their child attends with updated immunization records before their child’s first day of camp and in the following situations: 

• Anytime your child receives a dose of a camp-required vaccine
• Anytime your camp requests a record because it was incomplete 
  
  Need tips on locating your child’s immunization record? Visit the finding a student’s immunization vaccine record for school webpage.

Children who have an in-process plan must follow the plan and provide immunization records as indicated on the plan until they are caught up.

Families should be aware that exemptions expire. For school-aged children attending children's resident camps or day camps, a Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption must be submitted by the student’s parent or guardian upon entry. A Certificate of Nonmedical Exemption is an annual requirement in this age group and is valid if it is dated within the past 12 months. Find more information on the exemptions to school-required vaccines webpage.

To help keep vaccine-preventable diseases out of schools and camps, Colorado schools, child cares, and camps are required to review immunization records and can only accept valid vaccine doses that meet the minimum age and interval requirements for school and camp-required vaccines. These requirements are described in the vaccine schedule incorporated by reference in Colorado Board of Health rule 6 CCR 1009-2.

Colorado law (Board of Health rule 6 CCR 1009-2) denial of attendance:

Camps are required to verify vaccination records for all campers.

Camps should communicate with families that children with vaccine exemptions may be excluded from camp during an outbreak. The length of exclusion time will vary depending on the type of disease and the circumstances of the outbreak.

For example, if there is a case of measles at your camp, people who are not vaccinated or immune may be excluded for at least 21 days. Adults and children who are up to date with their MMR vaccines or have proof of immunity would not be excluded.

Colorado law requires parents or guardians to provide each camp their child attends with at least one of the following:

1. A vaccination record from the child’s health care provider or other immunization provider that includes the dates and types of immunizations administered,
2. An in-process plan (sample) showing that the camper is catching up on camp-required vaccines following the minimum intervals between doses described in the catch-up schedule (Table 2),  
3. A Certificate of Medical or Nonmedical Exemption, obtained using Colorado’s process and documented on Colorado’s forms

To meet the requirements, campers may have one or a combination of these documents for the different camp-required vaccines.

Colorado law requires official immunization records.

Licensed children’s resident camps, including seasonal adventure day camps:

Immunization records:

1. For out-of-state campers only:

• There is no requirement to transfer the camper’s immunization record onto the Official Colorado Certificate of Immunization.

2. For in-state campers:

• The camper’s immunization record must be: 1) transferred onto the Official Colorado Certificate of Immunization or 2) generated by the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) for children whose complete immunization record is in CIIS, or
• Be documented on a CDPHE-approved Alternate Certificate of Immunization.

Exemption documentation:

1. Certificates of Medical or Nonmedical Exemptions must be obtained using Colorado’s process and documented on Colorado’s forms. 

Licensed day camps (with a school-age child care license)

Immunization records:

1. For all campers: The camper’s immunization record must be: 1) transferred onto the Official Colorado Certificate of Immunization or 2) generated by the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) for children whose complete immunization record is in CIIS, or
2. Be documented on a CDPHE-approved Alternate Certificate of Immunization, or
3. Be documented on an approved out-of-state certificate of immunization from select states.

Exemption documentation:

1. Certificates of Medical or Nonmedical Exemptions must be obtained using Colorado’s process and documented on Colorado’s forms.

Some simple steps to take before the start of camp include:

• Direct health staff to review CDPHE’s immunization requirements for school (and also camp) entry webpages.
• Communicate the importance of immunizations and vaccine requirements to campers and staff.
• Ask families to locate their child’s vaccine records.
• Request and review vaccination records.
  • For K-12 children, staff may use Colorado’s K-12 immunization table.
  • For 5-year-old children who have not started kindergarten, staff may use Colorado's child care/preschool immunization table.

Adults need vaccines too!

• Camp staff (per licensing requirements 2.400, and 2.500) must be current for all immunizations required by their employer and must sign a statement indicating their immunizations are current.
• In preparation for a case of measles or other vaccine-preventable disease at camp, staff should be informed of the importance of being up to date and having their vaccine records readily available.
• Educate and strongly encourage staff to locate their vaccine records and to get vaccinated if they are not protected.
• Share the vaccination for adults table (PDF), which outlines vaccine recommendations.

Using the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS):

Access the Colorado Immunization Information System’s (CIIS) webpage for:

• User registration process
• CIIS training
• CIIS policies and procedures

Contacts:

• For clinical consultation, immunization compliance, or policy-related questions, contact the School and Child Care Nurse Consultant — cdphe_vacs@state.co.us.  
• To gain access to CIIS or for technical CIIS-related questions, contact the CIIS School Coordinator — cdphe_ciis_schools@state.co.us.  
• For general vaccination record questions or requests, contact the CIIS Help Desk — cdphe.ciis@state.co.us.