Required Immunizations

In accordance with the policy of UW Health Sciences, the University of Washington School of Public Health requires that all students show documentation of protection against a number of vaccine-preventable diseases, as well as screening for tuberculosis. To accomplish this requirement, a form documenting immunizations and TB testing must be submitted to the UW Campus Health Services by all students enrolled in the School of Public Health.

Download forms from Campus Health Services

Newly Admitted Students

New students must have the form completed by a health care provider, scanned and sent to myshots@uw.edu by Tuesday, July 31, 2012. If the student is unable to scan the document, the form can be faxed to 206-616-8434. (Students who fax their form should email myshots@uw.edu and call 206-616-9074 to ensure that the fax was received.)

New students who are in the middle of a series (e.g., the HepB series), must still turn in the form by July 31. They must complete the series as soon as possible and report the results to myshots@uw.edu as each item in the series is completed.

In addition to submitting the form, most entering students must get a second TB test (as per current CDC recommendations, and explained on the form) during orientation. There will be PPD clinics held on campus in September to provide this testing. 

Students not in compliance will NOT be allowed at any practicum sites, nor will they be allowed to register for the following quarter.

Continuing Students

All continuing students are required to have their annual tuberculosis screening between August 31st and Oct. 15th.  There will be annual PPD clinics held on campus in September to provide this testing.  If a continuing student does not receive an annual TB test this fall, they will be out of compliance and will need to get in compliance before being allowed to be at his/her practicum site and or to register for the following quarter. 

Continuing students with prior positive TB tests who need to complete their annual TB Symptom Survey should email myshots@uw.edu during September and follow the instructions on the auto-reply to submit their symptom survey response.

The Health Fee

The administrative and clinical service costs of the Health Sciences Immunization Program are supported by an annual mandatory HEALTH FEE of approximately $95-$110 that is billed to every student’s account. The fee recurs on the student’s account each year as long as she or he remains in the program.

For this fee, the Health Sciences Immunization program will:

• Review all submitted documentation for completeness
• Enter the information into a secure occupational, web-based, password protected database
• Report each student’s compliance status to his or her school/program
• Place a hold on the registration of any student who has not met the requirements
• Provide annual PPD skin tests for tuberculosis
• Provide annual influenza vaccines
• Provide counseling for positive PPD skin tests
• Provide counseling, testing and treatment for Blood Borne Pathogen (BBP) exposure

This fee does not cover:

• Initial vaccine compliance except for the second PPD (tuberculosis) skin test upon arrival on campus
• Any other health care services

Exemption for Employed Hospital or Health Care System Workers

This applies to BOTH first-year and returning students

You may be exempt from having to report your immunizations to the UW and having to pay the Health Fee IF:

• During your studies in the SPH, 2012-2013, you are concurrently an employee of a hospital or health care system in the U.S. or Canada;
• As part of your employee health services, your employer monitors your immunization and TB screening status annually, and
• Your employer’s requirements meet the immunization & TB screening requirements of the HSIP.

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

1. Provide your hospital’s form (usually called  an “Individual Immunization Compliance Report”) dated after July 1, 2012 and signed by your employee health service documenting that:
   • You have had all of the vaccinations and/or titres required for the HSIP and
   • For entering students: you have received a TB test (PPD or IGRA) within 9 months of beginning your school year. (Per UW requirements, first- year students with negative PPDs, or IGRAs may need to get a second PPD shortly after arrival in their program in order to satisfy the “2-step test” requirement.)
   • For returning students: An annual TB test is required within three months of the start of Autumn Quarter.
2. Provide a signed statement indicating that you have personal 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 as email attachments by August 15, 2012 to: sphimms@uw.edu.
   (please do not send this documentation to myshots@uw.edu)

Please provide your student number, the program that you are enrolling in, and your student/UW email address in your communication. You will be notified by August 31, 2012, whether or not you are exempt from the UW HSIP. Requests for exemptions for the 2012-13 academic year will not be reviewed after August 15, 2012.