COHP113 Immunization Policy - Academic Policy

No./Title: COHP113 Immunization Policy	Resp. Office: STUDENT AFFAIRS Approval Body: Academic Council	Effective Date: 10/9/2020
Category: Student	Last Review: December 2023	Next Review: December 2026
Contact: Neale R. Chumbler Executive Associate Dean for Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs	 901.448.3574	 nchumbl1@uthsc.edu
Related Policies:

Introduction

The College of Health Professions (COHP) will provide an environment for the safe conduct of its mission in education, research, community service, and patient care. This policy is intended to provide students with reasonable protection against the transmission of infectious diseases within the environment of an educational and health care institution.

Procedure

To minimize health risk the following immunizations or tests are required, prior to registration unless otherwise indicated:
1. Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR) series. Must provide documentation of the two-shot MMR series, or of a positive titer.
2. Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis. Must provide documentation of the adult Tdap shot within the previous ten years. If more than ten years has passed since prior immunization, a Tdap booster is required.
3. Hepatitis B series (HBV/HepB).
  1. Students have the option of receiving the 2-shot or 3-shot Hepatitis B vaccine series.
  2. Documentation of the first titer test must be received and accepted by the designated vendor prior to registration for the first term.
    1. If the titer test is positive, no further vaccination is required.
    2. If the titer test is negative, the first dose of the second series must also be administered prior to registration for the first term. The second dose of the second series is due prior to registration for the second term. For students receiving the 3- dose series, the third dose of the second series is due prior to registration for the third term.
    3. The second titer test is due 30 days following the final dose of the series.
If the titer test is negative following the second immunization series, no further vaccination is required. The student will need to submit a ‘non-responder’ form completed by their healthcare professional.
1. Varicella series. Must provide documentation of the two-shot Varicella series (Var or Chicken Pox), or of a positive titer.
2. Polio series. Documentation of the polio vaccine (oral or inactivated) series is required. Typically, children in the U.S. get 4 doses of IPV at 2 months, 4 months, 6- 18 months, and a booster dose at 4-6 years.
3. Influenza vaccine. Students must submit documentation of an annual influenza vaccine prior to registration for the Spring term. These are made available without cost at the annual Flu Shot Day in the Fall.
4. Meningitis B vaccine. Cytopathology, and Medical Laboratory Science students are required to provide documentation showing evidence of a vaccine. All other students are required to provide documentation of this vaccination as required for clinical placement.
Tuberculosis (TB) Skin Test
1. Must provide documentation of tuberculosis screening completed within 1 year prior to their start date. These records must be forwarded to the designated vendor for documentation and approval. Students who have been vaccinated with the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and do not have a history of a positive tuberculosis screening are required to have screening through a blood assay to determine screening status.
2. All students are required to have tuberculosis screening annually. Students with a negative chest x-ray will submit an annual absence of symptoms evaluation by their healthcare provider.
3. Students with a positive tuberculosis screen will need to provide documentation of a negative chest x-ray and an absence of symptoms evaluation by their healthcare provider to the designated vendor. These services are available through UHS.
No student will be able to begin class or go on clinical placement or direct patient care experience until all results have been identified and cleared by the designated vendor. A hold will be placed on all student accounts that fail to complete this process in a timely manner.
Required immunizations, tests and related lab work will be available through UHS.
Students are required to submit documentation of immunization and test results through a designated vendor.
Waiver of an immunization may be requested on medical or religious grounds. A request form for religious reasons must be completed, signed by the college Office of Student Affairs and uploaded to the designated vendor. A request form for medical grounds must be completed, signed by a medical provider and the college Office of Student Affairs, and uploaded to the designated vendor. Clinical affiliates may impose additional restrictions or require additional documentation. In addition to the health risk, an immunization waiver could in some cases limit campus access or impose delays in clinical placement. Some clinical affiliates may not accept a waiver of an immunization for any reason. If this occurs, the program will attempt to help the student identify a different clinical site but the program cannot guarantee that an acceptable clinical site will be found. This may delay or could prevent graduation if a suitable approved clinical site is not identified.