Is a doctor's statement required as proof of chickenpox disease?

For children entering preschool through 7th grade, a signed statement by a health care provider, documenting a diagnosis of varicella or verifying the history of disease, including date (MM/YY) is required. A child does not need to see their healthcare provider at the time of illness in order to request a verification of disease history. A parent can speak with their child’s healthcare provider to ascertain whether the child had chickenpox based upon the disease presentation and transmission. More information on assessing disease history is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/chickenpox/hcp/immunity.html

For children entering grades 8-12, documentation from a parent is sufficient. A written statement should include date of disease, a parent’s signature, and date of signature. (Example: If a parent cannot recall exact dates, something as simple as stating that disease occurred in the spring of 2000 is acceptable)

Schools do not need to verify the history of varicella disease for students with current documentation in CHIRP.

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