Student Health Center

Immunizations

To help ensure a healthy student community, all students must comply with New York State and RIT immunization requirements before attending classes.

Please return your Immunization Form to the Student Health Center by January 12th, 2012. The form was included in your Admissions Acceptance Packet and can be downloaded here. Students who do not meet New York State immunization requirements cannot attend classes.

All RIT students must provide:

  • Proof of vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) OR proof of positive blood titer OR physician diagnosis of disease OR proof of immunizations from high school or previous college. (Students born before January 1, 1957 are age exempt.)
  • Sign the Meningococcal Acknowledgement Form
  • Proof of vaccination for Meningococcal disease (Students 27 or older are age exempt)
  • Proof of Hepatitis B and Tdap (Tetanus) vaccinations
  • High risk students only: PPD (tuberculin) skin tests are also required, see detailed information below.

Review the Detailed Immunization Requirements below and the FAQ (coming soon) for further information.

Act Now!

It may take several weeks to collect the information you will need to complete your Immunization Form.

Failure to comply with the requirements may result in a $200 late fine!

 Detailed Immunization Requirements

New York State and RIT Requirements for Class Attendance:

New York State Law mandates that students be withdrawn from classes if this information is not submitted.

What

Who

Additional Information:

  • MMR: proof of 2 MMR vaccines (2 measles, 2 mumps and one rubella) given after first birthday
  • Blood Titers for each disease may be submitted if MMR record not available
  • All students born after 1/1/1957 AND
  • Enrolled in 4 or more credit hours
  • Due by January 12th, 2012
    Other terms, 30 days prior to start of classes
  • Vaccine must be given after first birthday
  • Must be in English
  • Dates verifiied by health or school official
  • Meningococcal Awareness Form: signature required
  • All students enrolled in 4 or more credit hours
  • All ages must comply with this requirement
  • Due by January 12th, 2012
    Other terms, 30 days prior to start of classes
  • Downloadable form is available here
  • Meningococcal Vaccination-one dose of tetravalent (A,C,Y,W-135)
  • All students age 26 or younger AND
  • Enrolled in 4 or more credit hours
  • Due by January 12th, 2012
    Other terms, 30 days prior to start of classes
  • Must be in English
  • Verification of date by health or school official
RIT Employees and Family Members: If you take 4 or more credit hours at RIT, you are considered students under the NYS Public Health Law 2165/2167. Therefore, employees and family members must comply with established NYS and RIT immunization requirements regardless of how long you have been associated with RIT.
Veterans: If you were honorably discharged within 10 years from the date of your application to RIT, you can submit your armed forces official vaccination records as proof of immunization. If there is a delay in obtaining your official vaccination records, the DD 214 Form (Separation of Service) will enable you to attend classes temporarily. NOTE: DD 214 does not fulfill the immunization requirements. We must receive your vaccination records.

Additional RIT Immunization Requirements:

What

Who

Additional Information:

Hepatitis B
  • series of three vaccines
  • ALL students
  • Must be submitted in English
  • Verfication of dates by health or school official

Tetanus

  • Initial series and booster within last 10 years
  • Tdap vaccination is recommended for the booster to provide protection against pertussis
  • ALL students
  • Must be submitted in English
  • Verfication of dates by health or school official
PPD (tuberculin) Skin Testing

High Risk Students

  • Exposed to someone with tuberculosis
  • Have weakened immune systems from disease or medication
  • Are HIV positive
  • Are injecting drug users
  • International students from high incidence areas including: Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, regardless of previous BCG vaccination.

Recommended Immunizations for ALL Students:

What

Who

Additional Information:

Influenza Vaccine

  • 1 dose annually
All students, especially those with a chronic illness or a condition/medication that affects the immune system Usually available seasonally in the Student Health Center for a fee

HPV (Gardasil) Vaccine

  • Series of 3 doses over 6 months
Women and men ages 9-26 Protects against 4 types of HPV - the virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer

Varicella Vacccine

  • 2 doses 4-8 weeks apart
Students who have not had chicken pox  

Pneumococcal Vaccine (Pneumovax)

  • 1 dose
  • Students with cochlear implants
  • Some students with heart disease or weakened immune system

 

New York State permits ONLY the following Exemptions from the Immunization Requirements:

What

Who

Additional Information:

Religious

Students with a history of strong religious conviction against vaccination
  • NY State does not accept philosophical waivers
  • You must submit the Request for Religious Exemption form
  • RIT requires the form to be notarized

Medical

Students with a medical contraindication to a specific vaccine Sufficient documentation must be submitted by the student's medical provider including reason for contraindication and end date if applicable.
MMR Requirement Students born before January 1, 1957  
Online or Off-campus Program/Major Programs/Majors where ALL courses are completely online or off-campus. See list of qualifying programs/majors below. If your program is online/off-campus, but you attend an on-campus orientation or other event, you ARE subject to immunization compliance

Online/Off-campus Programs/Majors - ONLY the following programs are exempt from the Immunization Requirements.

Program/Major Code
Program/Major Name
WCTQ Quality Management Certificate
WCTG Computer Graphics Certificate
WCEX, WCEW Public Relations Certificate
WCEU, WCEV Technical Communications Certificate
WCTE Small Business Management Certificate
WCTL International Logistics Certificate

International Students - Additional Information

The section will be completed soon.

 


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