Immunizations prevent disease and save lives
Immunizations (also known as vaccines) work with the body's natural defenses to help it safely develop immunity to a disease. Childhood vaccines offer life-saving protection from many very serious diseases. Learn more about Diseases Prevented by Vaccines.
Protect our community through vaccination
Immunization not only protects a person from serious diseases; it also protects the health of the community. Preventing disease through vaccination protects people who are too young to be vaccinated, and in rare instances, people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, or people who do not respond to vaccines. Immunization can also help stop or slow the spread of disease outbreaks, though outbreaks of many diseases have disappeared due to immunization.
Immunization recommendations
It is important for people of all ages to receive recommended vaccines. Since diseases prevented by vaccine are often more serious in young children, most vaccines are given first two years of life. Medical associations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) publish evidence-based immunization schedules of recommended vaccines based on medical and public health data. Visit Immunization: Me and My Family for more information about recommended vaccines for children, adolescents and adults.
Immunization school requirements
The Minnesota school immunization law requires all students enrolled in grades Kindergarten through 12 show they have received certain immunizations or that they have an exemption. Schools are required to report immunization data to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) each year through the Annual Immunization Status Report (AISR). Not all recommended vaccines are included in Minnesota’s immunization school law as these requirements focus on highly infectious diseases that are more easily transmitted in a setting like school where children gather. Refer to Vaccines for Infants, Children, and Adolescents for more information about school immunization requirements.
Immunization resources:
- Immunization: Minnesota's leading public health resource for immunization and vaccine-preventable disease information. Providing education and training on vaccinations for the public and health care providers.
- Minnesota Vaccines for Children Program (MnVFC): Ensures affordable vaccinations for all children.
- Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC): A confidential immunization information system operated by the MDH immunization program. It electronically stores immunization records for Minnesota residents, and offers tools to support immunization practice, monitoring, and improvement.
Last updated June 2026