Alaska State law requires PPD (purified protein derivative) tuberculin skin testing for all students in kindergarten, 7th grade and new to our school district.
Students previously enrolled in the Anchorage School District, who are returning from another district, are not considered new to the district. The Alaska Department of Health and Human Services requires a Mantoux PPD, an intradermal injection for the skin test. Some vocational programs also require a PPD skin test.
Exemption from PPD testing is permitted if parents provide results from a PPD skin test given six months prior to school entry, or a physician states that skin testing would be injurious to your child's health. If your child had a previous positive PPD test with a reading of 10 mm or more, a skin test is not required. Instead, the school nurse will review the child's treatment history. A BCG vaccination is not an exemption from tuberculin testing, and there is no exemption from tuberculin skin testing for religious belief or personal objection.
Administration of a PPD test requires placement of a needle underneath the top layer of the skin on the forearm. Not all students are comfortable with this procedure. Parents are encouraged to have the PPD given by their medical provider.
A PPD can be administered by the school nurse with parent permission. Click the link below to download consent form.