With some schools in Washington already starting their school year, and others not far behind, immunizations are required for attendance.

Seattle and King County are trying to make sure parents are prepared to send their children off to school with up-to-date immunizations.

There are new requirements as far as the varicella (chicken pox) vaccine for students this year.

The state has required only students in kindergarten through eighth grade to have two doses of the vaccine until now.

This fall, ninth to 12th grade students will also need two doses of the vaccine or have a health care provider verification of prior disease.

In addition to two doses of varicella, all students entering kindergarten through 12th grades will be required to show proof of having received three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, five doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis-containing vaccines plus one dose of Tdap (on or after 11 years of age, grades six-12), four doses of polio vaccine and two doses of MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.

Check with your health care provider to get the vaccines your child may need for school this fall.

Parents or legal guardians may exempt their child from receiving immunizations based on medical, religious or philosophical reasons.

There are risks, however, when choosing against vaccination.

Unimmunized or partially immunized individuals are at increased risk of becoming infected if exposed to an illness that could have been prevented by immunization and spreading the disease to others.

Individuals with weakened immune systems or long-term health conditions are at greatest risk of serious complications from disease if not immunized.

For their own protection and to prevent spread of the disease, children who are not fully immunized may be excluded from attending school when an outbreak occurs.

For more information on the 2016-17 vaccine requirements, visit the king county website.