cair immunization :: Article CreatorPurdue University Student Health Service
State Immunization Requirements for Enrolled Students Immunization Records Reminder
Students are reminded to submit proof of immunizations against rubeola (10-day measles), rubella (German measles), mumps, meningitis, diphtheria and tetanus to the PUSH immunization portal prior to completing your Purdue 101 online orientation program. If you do not submit proof of immunization, a hold will be placed on your account and you will be unable to register for classes.
To comply with immunization requirements, you must complete the medical clearances section in your Patient Portal. Log into the portal, look for the "Medical Clearances" tab on the left and update any items marked "Non Compliant" by submitting documentation. Further instructions can be found here.
If you need a tuberculosis test or vaccines that cannot be completed at home, they may be completed at PUSH as soon as you arrive to campus. If you need to receive a particular vaccine, please make an appointment with PUSH or another local pharmacy.
Indiana state law requires all new, regularly enrolled students attending residential campuses of Indiana public universities be immunized against Rubeola (10 day measles), Rubella (German measles), Mumps, Meningitis, Diphtheria, and Tetanus. This law requires the university to block the enrollment of any student who does not comply with immunization requirements. If your record is held for immunization noncompliance, registration for future courses cannot be completed until all requirements have been met.
Immunization proof must be legible, in English, and include the student's name. Students may upload their official immunization record OR a completed immunization information form signed by an MD, DO, NP, or RN. The official immunization record does not need to be signed by a provider.
Immunizations required by the state of Indiana: Vaccine Requirement Rubeola (Measles, MMR) 2 doses of live vaccine administered after first birthday and at least 28 days apart. Rubella (MMR) 2 doses of live vaccine administered after first birthday and at least 28 days apart. Mumps (MMR) 2 doses of live vaccine administered after first birthday and at least 28 days apart. Tetanus Diphtheria (Td or Tdap) No more than 10 years before starting classes. Meningitis (Men Quad/Conjugate, MCV4) One dose on or after 16th birthday, if 23 years or younger. Meningococcal B (Separate from Meningitis) 2 doses of the same brand (Bexsero or Trumenba), if 23 or younger. International students only Tuberculosis Clearance International students must have a QFT (Quantiferon blood test) or T-Spot (not PPD) with a negative result. This test must be completed in the United States and no more than 3 months before classes start. Test must be completed on the same date, or at least 28 days after any live vaccine. Those with an abnormal TB test result, will have additional steps to complete. Students not in compliance will not be able to register for future courses until the requirement has been met. Learn more about Tuberculosis.
State-required immunizations are available at the Student Health Center and through other healthcare providers.
FAQS MENINGOCOCCAL VACCINES Why Men B?
Purdue requires 2 doses of the Meningitis B vaccine for all incoming students under the age of 24. College students are at an increased risk of being infected with the rare, but serious disease.
Does MCV4 (Menveo or Menactra) meet the Men B requirement?
No. Meningococcal B is a separate vaccine. MCV4 protects against variants A,C,W, and Y. Meningococcal B protects from the B variant. The brand names for Meningococcal B are Bexsero and Trumenba.
If I am 24 or older when I start classes, am I required to complete meningococcal vaccines?
No, this is only required for students under 24 when classes start.
Will I be able to register for classes if I have completed the 1st dose of Men B, but cannot complete the 2nd dose before classes start due to the vaccine's dosing schedule?
Yes. If you have started the vaccine but are unable to complete the 2nd dose because of the dosing schedule (28 days or 6 months between vaccines), PUSH staff will give you more time to complete the series when we review your submission.
TB TEST If I am registered as a domestic student, am I required to complete a TB test?
No, the TB test is only required for international students.
Can I complete the TB test in my home country?
No, Indiana law requires that the TB test be completed in the United States.
Why do I see TB test as a requirement in Medical Clearances even though I'm a domestic student?
Before classes start, all incoming students see the same items in medical clearances. Once classes start, students will be placed in their final populations and the requirements will correctly reflect the student's status. The TB test requirement is listed so that those that are required to complete this have a location to submit.
What TB tests are accepted?
Purdue will only accept a TB blood test meaning that your blood must be drawn by a lab. The TB skin test (PPD/Mantoux) are not acceptable.
IMMUNIZATION PROOF Does my provider need to sign my immunization records before submitting?
No. If you are submitting your immunization record, no hand-written signature is required. This is only required on the immunization history form.
How do I upload additional proof once I have completed the initial submission?
Additional records will be added using the green update box next to the immunization proof line in Medical Clearances. This is the same location records were originally submitted. Even though it states compliant now, the student can continue to submit additional records as needed.
If I upload proof of immunizations, do I still need to enter the dates each vaccine was completed?
Yes. Your submission cannot be reviewed until proof is submitted and immunization dates have been entered.
I submitted immunization proof several days ago. Why does it still say Awaiting Review?
The review process can take up to 10 days to review. If there are any problems with the student's submission, PUSH staff will send the student a secure message.
Why am I unable to access the patient portal?
Grad students do not have access to the patient portal until classes start. Please hold on to your record until then and submit once portal access is available. If you are an undergrad and cannot login to the portal, please contact us at shc@purdue.Edu.
I have logged into my patient portal and there is no way to submit immunization proof in Medical Clearances.
Students who took previous classes through Purdue, either on campus or as an online student, will be considered "former students" until classes start. Once classes start, the student's population will correct itself and they will be able to enter immunization dates. If you'd like to submit immunization dates before classes start, please email shc@purdue.Edu.
Does PUSH accept MMR titers as proof of measles, mumps, and rubella?
Yes. The titer must include the numeric value as well as the numeric reference range or state "immune" to meet titer requirements.
EXEMPTIONS
In the event of an outbreak of any of the vaccine preventable diseases covered by this law on or near campus, students holding exemptions will be excluded from all campus activities, for their protection, until the outbreak is declared to be over.
How do I apply for a religious exemption from immunizations?
Students, or their parent/guardian if the student is a minor, will write a statement indicating the reason that they cannot obtain immunizations. The statement must be hand-signed and dated. Once reviewed, the student will find the response in the letters section of their patient portal.
How do I apply for a medical exemption from immunizations?
A medical exemption will be granted upon receipt of a written statement from a healthcare provider indicating the nature and duration of the medical condition which contraindicates an immunization, as well as the specific vaccine identified as detrimental to the student's health or certifying pregnancy or suspected pregnancy. Medical exemptions expire when the medical condition(s) contraindicating immunization change in a manner which permits immunization.
Contact Info:PURDUE STUDENT HEALTH CENTER601 Stadium Mall DriveImmunization Office - Room 138W. Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2052Email: shc@purdue.EduFax: (765) 496-1907Telephone: (765) 494-1837
Immunization Requirements
Immunization Requirements
DePauw requires the following immunizations for the 2024-2025 academic year:
Varicella - 2 doses or a quantitative (numeric) blood titer - history of disease is not sufficient. Meningitis ACWY, brand names Menactra and Menveo - 1 dose after the age of 16. Meningitis B, brand names Bexsero or Trumenda - 2 doses, the immunization record MUST include the brand name to be in compliance. Hepatitis B - 3 doses/complete series TDaP booster - within the last 10 years MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) - 2 doses or quantitative (numeric) blood titers ONLY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - IGRA/Quantiferon Gold Plus Blood test - after April 1 and before arriving on campus. The following vaccines and immunizations are recommended:
COVID-19 vaccine Flu, annually HPV Hepatitis A Polio The following vaccines and immunization are optional:
Typhoid Yellow Fever Rabies (pre-exposure) M Pox Immunization requirements are reviewed each spring and updated by April for the following academic year.
Submitting Immunization Records
All students are required to submit a completed immunization record to the DePauw Health Wellness Center via secure email (depauwhealth@hendricks.Org) or secure fax (765-658-4558). The immunization records must be on official medical office letterhead or state immunization registry stationary. Records that are pulled from an individual's private health portal will be accepted only if their name and date of birth are clearly visible.
All records must have the student's legal name, date of birth, DePauw ID number and a phone number where the student can be reached with questions. All records must be submitted in English.
Students entering for the Fall term must submit complete records by August 1. Students entering for Winter or Spring term must submit complete records by January 1. Students who do not submit complete Immunization Records will not be able to register for classes for the subsequent semester.
Immunization Exemptions
Requests for exemption from the immunization requirements for other than medical reasons may be recognized by DePauw based on religious grounds only. Requests for exemption must be made in writing, in advance of the start of classes and signed by the student.
Requests for exemption from immunization requirements based on medical grounds must be accompanied by a written statement from the student's healthcare provider indicating the nature and duration of the medical condition which contraindicates an immunization, along with the specific vaccine identified as detrimental to the student's health, certifying pregnancy or suspected pregnancy, or verifying that the student is currently completing the course of all required immunizations. Medical exemptions expire when the medical condition(s) contraindicating immunization change in a manner which permits immunization.
All requests for exemption will be reviewed and decided by the medical director. Students should submit a Request for Exemption to the Immunization Requirement and any accompanying documentation to depauwhealth@hendricks.Org by August 1 for students matriculating in the fall and January 1 for students enrolling for spring. Approved exemptions will be kept on file at the DePauw Health Wellness Center.
Students holding exemptions may be excluded from campus activities or instructed to leave campus in the event of an outbreak – on or near campus – of any of the vaccine-preventable diseases until the outbreak is over. Further information regarding immunization requirements or exemptions may be obtained by contacting DePauw Health Wellness Center at 765-658-4555 or depauwhealth@hendricks.Org.
Requesting Immunization Records
Students may request their immunization records by contacting DePauw Health Wellness Center at 765-658-4555 or depauwhealth@hendricks.Org.
California Immunization Rates Drop 40% During Pandemic
Credit: baona / iStock
California's vaccination rates for children took a nosedive just a few weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide stay-at-home order in March to slow the spread of Covid-19, causing concerns among health professionals about the potential for outbreaks of other diseases during the pandemic.
In April vaccinations for children decreased by more than 40% compared to the same month the previous year, according to the California Department of Public Health. The department looked at immunizations for children ages 0 to 18, including 10 legally required for children to attend school in California.
Immunization rates have dropped across the country since the pandemic began. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the number of vaccine doses ordered by doctors in the United States began to decline the week after the Covid-19 national emergency was declared on March 13.
"Certainly, that is a major concern," said Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento. "We don't need an outbreak of other diseases at the same time as the coronavirus outbreak. Last year, there were a record number of measles cases, and we don't need to have another outbreak of measles because immunizations are low."
Children who have not received vaccinations for childhood diseases like chicken pox or measles are more likely to end up in an emergency room or a hospital where they could be exposed to Covid-19, he said.
Pan, who also is a medical doctor, authored two pieces of legislation in recent years that greatly strengthened California laws, which require that all children be vaccinated at grade-level checkpoints before being admitted to school. A 2016 bill eliminated personal belief exemptions and another piece of legislation, in 2019, requires a state review if a child's doctor has written, or a school has accepted, numerous medical exemptions.
Vaccination numbers across the state have increased since the personal belief exemption was eliminated. In 2018, the most recent year data is available, 78% of traditional public schools reported that its students had all required vaccinations necessary to protect the community, while only 68% of private schools and 57% of charter schools met that goal, a 2019 EdSource analysis of California Department of Public Health data reveals.
Pan fears the lack of vaccines could mean that patients with measles and other diseases would overwhelm hospitals if there is a surge of coronavirus cases. California had 148,855 cases of Covid-19 and 5,063 deaths as of June 13. The state's first confirmed case of the coronavirus came in January.
"We have been working hard to keep capacity in hospitals in case we have more Covid patients show up," Pan said. "The last thing we need is to have more people in there with measles. You wouldn't want Covid patients catching measles. It is highly contagious."
Many California children have not received one or more doses of their routine immunizations in recent months, according to the California Department of Public Health. Because most immunizations are given before age 6, this is likely to impact schools at the kindergarten and 1st-grade levels, according to department officials.
Students are required to get their second dose of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine before kindergarten, so there could be a decrease in the number of children with all their immunizations at that grade level this school year, said Leah Russin of Vaccinate California, a parent advocacy group.
Children who are not fully vaccinated can only attend school in California if they have a medical exemption, are homeless or are admitted conditionally while catching up on vaccinations. Students admitted conditionally must adhere to Centers for Disease Controls catch-up schedules, while homeless students must receive all required immunizations as soon as possible after beginning school.
State immunization law requires documentation of vaccines at certain checkpoints: upon entering child care, transitional kindergarten/kindergarten or seventh grade, or when transferring into schools or child care from out of state or out of the country. Otherwise, schools are not checking the immunization status of students.
Communities can guard against disease outbreaks by having a sufficient portion of residents vaccinated. The concept, referred to as herd or community immunity, also protects newborns and those with chronic illnesses who can't be vaccinated. Ninety-five percent of children at a school must be immunized to prevent transmission of disease in a community, according to the California Department of Public Health.
The recent decline in vaccinations is likely due to parents' fear their child could be exposed to the coronavirus if they visit a hospital or clinic and health providers limiting immunization services during the pandemic, according to state health officials. Medical providers in some areas of the state scaled back on wellness checkups, which generally include immunizations, during the state shutdown. Many primary care practices were financially impacted and have had to lay off staff, further limiting services, Pan said. Many are contemplating closing.
Initially, people thought they would be sheltering in place for just a few weeks, said Russin of Vaccinate California. But that has turned into months and many children still haven't been vaccinated.
"A week or two is not a big deal, but a delay of six months or more means we have an entire microgeneration of kids that are behind on their vaccines," Russin said.
Russin gave birth just a few days after California residents were told to shelter in place to keep Covid-19 from spreading. Like all parents she had concerns about exposing her baby to the disease by taking her to the doctor for her wellness checkup and accompanying vaccines. She did it anyway.
"I don't want to take her to urgent care during a pandemic because I'm worried about something I could have taken care of with a well-child check," she said. "Risk of coronavirus at urgent care is dramatically greater or worse than a well-child check with a pediatrician working overtime to mitigate and separate sick children visits from well child visits."
Parents should call their doctor and ask how they are keeping children safe from Covid-19 when they come in for wellness checkups and immunizations, Pan said. Many medical offices are separating wellness visits from sick visits, either by having them at separate locations or at different times of day and are requiring personal protective equipment for all staff. Some health care providers are offering drive-up sites for vaccinations, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Families with children behind on their immunizations should contact their health care provider to ask about a plan to catch up on their shots, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Families without insurance can get free immunizations for children through age 19 through the Vaccines for Children program.
The easing of stay-at-home orders means more parents may feel more comfortable going to the doctor, but it also means that unvaccinated children may begin to interact with more people and travel, which could spread disease.
"It's really important for people to get their vaccinations," Pan said. "Covid shows us what it is like to live in the world with a serious contagious disease that we don't have a vaccine for. Get a vaccine. Let's not have a measles outbreak. Let's not have a whooping cough outbreak at the same time we are having Covid."
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