Children transferring into a New Jersey school, preschool, or childcare center from out of state or out of country shall be allowed a 30-day grace period to submit required immunization documentation before the child is placed on provisional status or disallowed admittance into a school building, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 8:57-4.5(e), the New Jersey Department of Education noted in an advisory.
All immunization records submitted by a parent or guardian in a language other than English are required to be accompanied by a translation sufficient to determine compliance with the immunization requirements, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 8:57-4.6.
The New Jersey Department of Health has provided additional guidance that any person can translate a foreign immunization record as long as compliance with New Jersey’s immunization requirements can be determined. The NJDOH does not require the translation to come from a health care provider; however, all translations must include the printed name and signature of the translator. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control provides a resource webpage to assist with determining foreign vaccines.
To assist parents and school districts to identify available supports for translation services, the NJDOE has created a Translation Services resource with a list of entities in each county that provide translation services at little or no cost.