Some students entering the seventh grade this year may need another round of vaccinations.

A new Minnesota state rule requires those students to show they’ve received the vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough, as well as a bacterial meningitis vaccine.

The Austin Public Schools District school nurse Heidi Doe said the vast majority of students already get their vaccinations, but she is concerned about letting people know what is now required.

“It’s something we struggle with every year, to make sure we get everybody information,” Doe said. “We try to be pretty proactive and give people at least several months notice, so they have time to do it.”

The district holds a vaccination clinic in the summer for incoming seventh graders, and they try to let parents know what is required before the new school year starts.

“So everyone is as protected as possible from communicable disease,” Doe said.

The new requirements were approved last year to bring the state into line with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and other public health groups.

Whooping cough peaked in Minnesota in 2012 with more than 4,600 cases reported. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports this year, about 560 cases have been reported.

“They’re trying to get that extra protection for whooping cough,” Doe said. “They’re trying to get that protected faster.”

Health providers also recommend an immunization for the cancer-causing human papillomavirus, or HPV, beginning at age 11.

“They have traditionally had some extra vaccines but now they have added some more,” Doe said.

Doe said some of the requirements for incoming kindergarteners have also changed.

Parents can choose not to have their child vaccinated, but must provide schools with notarized medical or philosophical exemption forms.

“We want to really stress that it’s important to make sure it gets done before the first day,” Doe said. “If the students are noncompliant, we have to have the parents come pick them up the first day of school. It’s state law.”

“We definitely don’t want to have to send anyone home,” she added.