Required and Recommended Immunizations

Required Immunizations

Several immunizations are required by the state of New Jersey and the University for all enrolled students. If you have not received the required vaccines, you can obtain them at UHS once you are eligible for services. You will be charged a fee for these immunizations.

Undergraduates, who do not receive the required vaccines prior to matriculation, will be charged a late fee and may have a hold put on their second-semester registration. Graduate students will have a hold put on their registration until the immunizations are administered.

Print a handout of this information to give to your primary care provider.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination series is available at Sexual Health and Wellness.

Hepatitis B

Three doses are required for all matriculating students or a blood test showing immunity. All students will be required to have all three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine as outlined in the following schedule. The second dose should be at least 28 days after the first dose and the third dose at least 16 weeks after first dose and at least 8 weeks after the second dose. If there is no time to complete a series before matriculation, an appointment may be made at UHS when the next dose of vaccine is due.

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)

Two doses of MMR are required. The first dose is typically administered after the first birthday, and the second is a minimum of four weeks after the first dose. We will also accept a blood test within the last year showing immunity. If there is not time to complete a series before matriculation, an appointment may be made at UHS when the next dose of vaccine is due.

Meningococcal Vaccine

Meningococcal vaccine (covering serogroups A,C,Y,W-135) is required for all undergraduate and graduate students living in campus housing, defined as New Graduate College, Old Graduate College, and the Annexes: 11 Dickinson, 15 Dickinson, 16 Dickinson, 24 Dickinson, 35 University Place, 45 University Place, and 31 Edwards. We accept Menactra, Menomune, Menveo, or Nimenrix. One dose of MenACWY is required after the 16th birthday, and within the last 5 years, for all students living in a dormitory-style facility. Regardless of living situation, any student under the age of 30 is encouraged to receive vaccination against meningococcal disease. See ACIP recommendations.

Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis (Tdap)

A single Tdap (tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, reduced acellular pertussis) immunization is required for individuals who have completed the recommended childhood series of vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (DTP/DTaP). Tdap vaccine is not available in many countries outside the United States of America. Tdap appears with the following trade names: Adacel, Boostrix, Repevax. We accept only an adult pertussis booster, given after the 11th birthday and after 2005. If you are unable to receive this vaccine before you arrive on campus, you should make an appointment at UHS. The Tdap vaccine is one of the required immunizations and you will not be considered compliant unless you receive it, regardless of whether you have recently received a Td booster.

Tuberculin Testing

A Tuberculin Skin test (TST) or Quantiferon Gold test is required for students who are at higher-risk, meaning they:

have a medical condition that weakens the immune system, have symptoms of TB (fever, night sweats, cough, weight loss)
have been in physical contact with someone who has TB disease,
use illegal drugs
have lived or worked somewhere TB disease is more common (e.g. homeless shelters, prison, jails, or some nursing homes)
have spent three or more months in a country where TB disease is common.

A new or past positive test must be accompanied by a chest x-day report within the last year. Requirement for TB testing will be determined upon upload of required Immunizations and completion of Health History form on MyUHS.

Recommended Immunization

These vaccines are not required for enrollment. However, they are recommended for certain people and are all available at UHS.

Hepatitis A

This vaccine is recommended if you:

travel or work anywhere except the U.S., Western Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Japan
have chronic liver disease, hepatitis B or C
use illegal drugs
are a man who has sex with other men
have clotting-factor disorders
work with hepatitis A virus in experimental lab settings (not routine medical laboratories)
handle food (when health authorities or employers determine vaccination to be cost effective)
wish to obtain immunity to hepatitis A

Meningitis B Vaccine

In 2014 at Princeton University and in 2016 at another local institution, there were outbreaks of Meningitis B. For this reason, we recommend that all incoming students, especially those living in dormitory style facilities, to be vaccinated for Meningitis B. There are two different vaccine products by two different manufacturers – Bexsero, a two dose vaccine, and Trumenba, a three dose vaccine. They are not interchangeable – so be sure to indicate which vaccine you are receiving when you send in your immunization record.

Pneumococcal (Prevnar and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide)

Discuss the need for this vaccine with your physician if you have a disease or condition that lowers your body’s resistance to infection, such as:

Hodgkin’s disease
lymphoma or leukemia
kidney failure
multiple myeloma
nephritic syndrome
HIV infection or AIDS
damaged spleen or no spleen
organ transplant
long term steroids
certain cancer drugs radiation therapy
smoking and asthma

Varicella (Chicken Pox)

Two doses of the chicken pox vaccine are recommended at least one month apart, unless you have positive immune titer verifying immunity or history of disease with an approximate date.

Exemptions from requirements

If certain immunizations are contraindicated due to a medical condition, you may be exempt from immunization requirements. You will need to submit a signed statement of medical exemption from your primary care provider to uhs@princeton.edu.

You may also be exempt from immunizations due to your religious beliefs. In this case, you should submit an Application for Exemption from Immunization, explaining how immunizations conflict with your religious beliefs. You can request this application by calling 609-258-3141.

UHS highly recommends that students with immunization exemptions submit results of titers (blood tests to determine immunity) for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella. Students who do not do so, or whose results do not show that they have immunity, may be temporarily excluded from classes, residence halls, and any sponsored activities on campus in the event of a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak or threatened outbreak.

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