During your University course work and training you will be in close contact with clients and patients who may be ill.  This means you are at high risk for certain infections, and if you are ill, you may pose a high risk to vulnerable client and patient populations with whom you work.

All entering graduate students and HIHIM undergraduates are now expected to complete all immunization and tuberculosis testing prior to entry into their health sciences school/program. An annual fee of $95 will be billed to the student for these services.

How does it work?

Students need to complete and have documentation of all Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended Health Care Personnel (HCP) immunizations including:

• MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella)
• Hepatitis B
• Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis
• Varicella (whooping cough)
• Varicella (chicken pox)
• Influenza (annual, optional, but strongly recommended)

and annual testing for tuberculosis (PPD or IGRA).

See HSI website for detailed requirements

The Health Sciences Immunization Program (HSIP) provides administrative review and tracking of students’ health care personnel requirement status and TB screening.

HSIP will:

1. review all submitted documentation for completeness
2. enter the information into a secure occupational web-based, password protected database
3. report each student’s compliance status to their school/program
4. place a hold on the registration of any student who has not met the requirements

HSIP provides the following services:

• annual PPD skin tests for tuberculosis (at a time and place to be scheduled)
• annual influenza vaccines
• counseling for positive PPD skin tests

Details of the Health Services Immunization Program can be found at: https://depts.washington.edu/chsweb/hsi

How do I submit documentation?

SPH students must submit the 2012 Autumn SEATTLE HSIP form along with copies of supporting documents – even if incomplete – to myshots@uw.edu  as soon as possible and no later than one month before the beginning of the autumn term. It is essential that you complete measles vaccinations before registering for Autumn Quarter.  Other immunizations must be completed ASAP and before registering for Winter Quarter.

Documentation that will satisfy the requirements listed on the form includes scanned copies of immunization records and lab reports of titer results, or medical records containing such data.  If you have records of immunization at another facility, such as UWMC, Hall Health, or a hospital employee health clinic, it is your responsibility to obtain a copy of those records, scan, and submit them with the form.

Health Insurance

The University of Washington strongly recommends that you purchase health insurance coverage as becoming ill during your academic career can be very expensive. International students are required to purchase student health insurance, which can be waived for a student with an appointment paid through the University of Washington, include a 20 hour/week RA/TA/SA position, $800/month or more predoctoral fellowship or a postdoctoral fellowship.

Exemption for Employed Hospital or Health Care System Workers

If a student is concurrently an employee of a hospital or health care system in the U.S. or Canada  that requires compliance with, and monitors annually, the UW HSIP immunization and TB screening requirements as part of his or her  employment, he or she may be exempt for the HSIP program and fee.

If you feel you may qualify for this exemption, you must:

1. provide a form signed by your employee health service indicating that you:
   • have had all of the vaccinations required for the HSIP and
   • receive an annual TB test and appropriate follow-up.
   
   Students may use the form found at https://depts.washington.edu/chsweb/files/HSIP-Form-11.12a.pdf  or an equivalent form from your hospital health care employee health service (do not send it to Campus Health Services).
2. provide a statement indicating that you have health insurance that will pay fully or in part for post-exposure prophylaxis, in the unlikely event that you are exposed to blood borne pathogens in an activity related to your student status.
3. Send the completed and signed form and statement to:
   
   Fred Connell, MD, MPH
   Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
   Box 357230, University of Washington
   Seattle, WA 98195
   
   or email to fredc@uw.edu
   
   by September 23, 2011.

Please provide your student number and your email address in your communication. You will be notified by September 30, 2011 whether or not you are exempt. Exemptions for the 2011-12 academic year will not be possible after this time.