Thousands of Colorado middle and high school students must receive a new vaccine this year for the first time since kindergarten under a recently passed state law.

The new law also adds a shot to the list of vaccinations required for kindergartners.

Students who don’t get the vaccinations or obtain an exemption for personal, medical or religious reasons will not be allowed to attend school.

The Colorado State Board of Health passed the rules Jan. 17 to require all sixth- and 10thgrade students to show proof of a Tdap (Tetanus/Diphtheria/Acellular Pertussis) vaccination, said Diane Ashton, community health planner for immunizations with the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment. Additional grades will be included in the requirements within a few years.

The vaccine, which is new, helps protect adolescents against whooping cough, in addition to the traditional vaccination for tetanus and diphtheria, Ashton said. Keeping teens from getting the disease also reduces the risk of teens passing it to young infants, who cannot be vaccinated and could become deathly ill.

Kindergartners this year must get a second dose of the varicella vaccine for chicken pox, Ashton said. Public health officials found that one dose wasn’t enough to stop infection. Students who have a history of chicken pox must provide a written note from a health care provider, which is also a new requirement.

For more information on the vaccinations, go to http://www.immunizecoloradoskids.com.