Colleges and universities are settings in which the spread of communicable diseases among students is a frequent occurrence. The University of Washington has developed policies to focus on diseases that can be prevented by vaccines and screening for other treatable communicable diseases (e.g. tuberculosis). The goal of these policies is to protect UW campuses from outbreaks of infectious diseases, minimizing a campus outbreak, not on individual health safety. A secondary goal is to educate students about other vaccinations to promote/protect general health.
There are two UW requirements that students must meet around immunizations: UW COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement and the MMM Tri-Campus Immunity Verification Requirement.
Faculty and staff are not subject to these requirements because they do not present the same health risk to the campus.
Early Access to Student Health Services for Required Immunizations
Virginia Mason Franciscan Group is a local healthcare provider in Tacoma that is contracted to provide a range of free healthcare services to UW Tacoma students, known by UW Tacoma students as Student Health Services. UW Tacoma students can access Student Health Services starting the first day of their first quarter at UW Tacoma, though to increase access to immunizations, Student Health Services can provide the required immunizations to newly admitted UW Tacoma students who have registered for classes prior to the start of their first quarter. New undergraduate students who have completed new student online orientation for the upcoming quarter must request early access to receive required immunizations at Student Health Services at the link below prior to visiting the clinic. All other covered student health services begin at the start of the quarter.
For questions about Early Access to Student Health, email madieb@uw.edu.
UW Tri-Campus Immunization Requirement
The University of Washington requires verification of Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) and Meningococcal Quadrivalent (A,C,Y,W-135) immunity for all Fall 2019 and beyond incoming students taking in-person classes (matriculated and non-matriculated) as a public health measure in accordance with Centers for Disease Control guidelines. Students must submit proof of immunity in order to attend classes on any campus at the UW.
Medical exemptions and personal/philosophical/religious exemptions to vaccination requirements will be considered on a case by case basis.
| REQUIRED VACCINE | STUDENTS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE VACCINE | DETAILS |
|---|---|---|
| Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine | All incoming students taking in-person classes (matriculated and non-matriculated) * |
Specific vaccination requirement:
OR
Students born before 1957 are considered immune to measles and do not need to provide MMR immunization data (or lab evidence of immunity). A +/- 4-day window on dates will be used for either birthday or for the timing of vaccinations. |
| Meningococcal quadrivalent (A,C,Y,W-135) vaccine | Students who are under 22 years of age (as of the first day of the first quarter of enrollment) |
Specific vaccination requirement:
Students over the age of 22 (as of the first day of classes for the enrolled quarter) do not need to provide Meningococcal Quadrivalent data (or lab evidence of immunity). A +/- 4-day window on dates will be used for either birthday or for the timing of vaccinations. |
* These requirements do not apply to individuals enrolled during Summer Quarter, non-matriculated students, Professional Development Center program participants and youth participating in pre-college outreach programs.
UW Tri-Campus Immunization Requirement
Learn more about the UW Tri-Campus Immunization Requirement. For questions about the immunization requirement, email immunity@uw.edu.
In addition to required vaccines students are encouraged to review the additional, recommended vaccines below. These recommended vaccinations are provided for general health information. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provide specific indications/recommendations for each of these vaccines, which you should discuss with your healthcare provider.
- Diptheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
- Varicella (chicken pox)
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Polio
- Annual influenza vaccine (flu shot)
- Serogroup B Meningococcal (may be recommended if at increased risk)
Meeting Requirements
All incoming students should submit their documentation by the first day of classes of their entering quarter. The University will give a grace period to complete the requirement within one quarter. Submit your immunizations as well as a completed Immunization Verification form to the centralized Hall Health Center documentation management system.
Documents must be submitted before the first day of the quarter. If the requirement is not satisfied before the first day of classes, the University will place a hold on the student’s registration. The hold will go into effect to prevent registration for the upcoming quarter on Saturday, 12:01 a.m. following the 4th Friday of the quarter.
To satisfy your immunization requirements, you can:
- Request your immunizations records from a your provider or state immunization registry. Make sure your records show the vaccine names and dates administered.
- Get a titer(s) to verify that you are immune to Measles and Mumps.
- Get the Meningococcal Meningitis A, C, W and Y vaccine if you are under 22 years old as of the first day of the quarter.
- Get the MMR vaccine if you know you never received it.
Review the information below for more details.
Request your immunizations records from a your provider or state immunization registry. Make sure your records show the vaccine names and dates administered.
If you were immunized in Washington State:
- Visit one of the Franciscan Prompt Care locations that serve UW Tacoma students during their regular business hours. Staff there can help you access your records. You can see the locations and hours here.
- Review the WA State Department of Health website or call 1-866-397-0337, option 5
If you were immunized in another state:
Visit this CDC web page to locate your state health department.
Get a titer(s) to verify that you are immune to Measles and Mumps. Titers are lab tests that test for immunity to certain diseases. Titers are generally available for Measles and Mumps, but do not exist for Meningitis. Positive titer tests results satisfy the Measles and Mumps requirement.
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You can schedule an appointment at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Prompt Care at St. Joseph OR you can walk-in to any of the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Prompt Cares that serve UW Tacoma students, but you will need to wait until a provider can see you. You can see clinic hours and locations and hours here and can schedule an appointment at the Prompt Care at St. Joseph by calling 253-428-2200.
- Your office visit is free of charge (no co-pay). You will need to pay for the lab test.
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If you have health insurance, the clinic staff should let you know if your insurance will cover the test and will process your claim.
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If you do not have insurance, you can either pay cash (UWT students get a discount and the clinic staff will let you know the amount) or talk with the the clinic staff about options for financial assistance.
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Remember, you can’t use Student Health Student Health Services until the first day of classes in the term you are starting at UW Tacoma.
Get the Meningococcal Meningitis A, C, W and Y vaccine if you are under 22 years old as of the first day of the quarter.
- You can schedule an appointment at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Prompt Care at St. Joseph OR you can walk-in to any of the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Prompt Cares that serve UW Tacoma students, but you will need to wait until a provider can see you. You can see clinic hours and locations and hours here and can schedule an appointment at the Prompt Care at St. Joseph by calling 253-428-2200.
- Remember, you can’t use Student Health Student Health Services until the first day of classes in the term you are starting at UW Tacoma.
Get the MMR vaccine if you know you never received it. If you need the MMR vaccine, you can receive it free of charge through Student Health Services, which are offered at six Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Prompt Care locations.
Remember, you can’t use Student Health Student Health Services until the first day of classes in the term you are starting at UW Tacoma.
Don't forget your Husky ID!
Remember to bring your Husky ID card to your appointment or walk-in at Student Health Services!
Frequently Asked Questions
We accept:
- Immunization records from a clinic or hospital
- Transcripts that show immunizations
- The recommended Proof of Immunity Form in the sidebar above with a medical professional’s signature
- Pharmacy prescription documents/receipts for vaccines
- State or country government documents. For vaccinations taken in Washington state, you can use the website MyIR.
- Military students: we accept forms DD 214 and DD 2766, which you can find on the website eBenefits.
Records must have the student’s name and date of birth, clear dates of when vaccines were received, and clear names of which vaccines were received.
- No name or a different name than what is in the student database; no date of birth to corroborate identity.
- MMRs taken before you were 1 year old.
- MMRs taken closer than 28 days apart.
- Meningitis ACWY taken before you were 16 years old. If you received your first dose younger than 16 years of age, you will need a booster dose. If you have not had it before 16 years of age, you do not need a booster.
- Meningitis ACWY taken in China, as that version might not be the most effective. (Versions taken in Hong Kong and Taiwan are acceptable.)
- Meningitis B vaccine taken instead of the ACWY variant.
- No medical professional’s signature on the document. Official immunization records, such as MyChart or MyIR documents, or pharmacy prescription slips, are acceptable.
- Illegible handwriting on the document: Vaccinations need to be clearly labelled.
- Not having enough Measles or Mumps vaccines. We require two of each, through two MMR vaccines, two individual Measles and two Mumps vaccines, or a combination.
- Having indeterminate or negative Measles or Mumps titers. Note: Rubeola is the other name for Measles. Rubella is German Measles and is not required.
- Students must communicate with their healthcare provider to send their titers results or obtain the test results. The test results need to be submitted to the portal.
Students may transcribe into English any pertinent information (vaccine names, dates, student name, date of birth, provider name, provider contact info) by hand directly onto documents themselves before submitting.
Student Health Services is your best and most affordable option to meet the immunization requirement. MMR and meningococcal meningitis ACWY are free to current students at Student Health Services. Other locations in the Tacoma area, at cost, include pharmacies and clinics:
Pharmacies
*Many accept insurances—call ahead to make an appointment or to check for vaccine availabilities
- Safeway Pharmacy
1112 S M St, Tacoma, WA 98405 – 1.2 miles from campus
Phone: (253) 572-7753
- Walgreens
2024 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA 98403 – 1.8 miles from campus
Phone: (253) 272-2311
- CVS Pharmacy
3320 S 23rd St, Tacoma, WA 98405 – 2.4 miles from campus
Phone: (253) 414-0303
- Costco
2219 S 37th St, Tacoma, WA 98409 – 2.9 miles from campus
Phone: (253) 671-6002
- Bartell Drugs
3601 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA 98406 – 2.9 miles from campus
Phone: (253) 761-1248
Sea Mar Clinic
1112 S Cushman Ave Tacoma, WA 98405 – 1.2 miles from campus
Phone: (253) 593-2144
https://www.seamar.org/pierce-medical-tacoma.html
- Sliding scale fee/low income services
- Lab services offer Measles and Mumps titers
Neighborhood Clinic
1323 S Yakima Ave. Tacoma, WA 98405 – 0.6 miles from campus
Phone: (253) 627-6353
https://neighborhoodclinictacoma.org/
- Low income/many free services
- Open 2 days a week
- Only offers the MMR vaccine, not Meningitis
- Lab services offer Measles and Mumps titers
Community Health Clinic
1202 Martin Luther King Jr. Way Tacoma, WA 98405 – 0.9 miles from campus
Phone: (253) 441-4742
https://www.commhealth.org/services/medical-clinics/hilltop-family-medical-clinic/
- Accepts many insurance plans
- Sliding scale/payment plans
Mary Bridge Immunization Clinic
316 N L Street, WIC Office Tacoma, WA 98403
Phone: (253) 403-1767
https://www.marybridge.org/services/immunization-clinic/
- Appointment only
- Free clinic
- Often attends public events for easy immunization access
- Complete the Immunity Verification Requirement Form on your computer or by hand (legibly). Download the file first if you plan on filling it out on your computer; do not fill it out in your browser as it will not save.
- Take the form to your health care provider to sign if they have records of your immunizations. Otherwise, provide records of your vaccinations. (You do not need to have the form signed if you can provide records yourself.) Review your documents to make sure they are complete. Make sure they meet the requirements listed on our website. You may scan your documents or take a photo of them with your phone. Make sure to check the image and verify that the text can be clearly seen.
- Convert and merge all your documents into a single PDF file. Here is how to turn images into PDFs, and here is how to combine PDFs.
- Visit the Upload Portal. Enter your information in the required fields and upload your single file. This is the only way to submit documentation. We do not accept faxed or emailed documentation.
- Click Upload. If your document is too large, which most often happens with scanned files, you may get an error message.
- You will receive an automated email at your UW email account within a few minutes of submission, confirming that your documents were uploaded. This does not mean you have been cleared but that your documents have been successfully submitted for our review.
- If there is a problem with your submission, we will contact you by email or text message. Processing times may be longer depending on the volume of submissions. We are not able to contact all students who have been cleared; please assume you are cleared unless you hear from us. Make sure you check your UW email (@uw.edu) regularly. You can attend classes, orientation, and advising sessions before you have met your requirement, but we do ask that you get those documents in sooner than later so you can register.
This tri-campus requirement is managed by staff on the Seattle campus. Email questions to immunity@uw.edu or call 206-616-4672. Due to high email and call volumes, you may have to wait for your email response or you may have to leave a voicemail. Include in your email and/or voicemail your name, student ID number, a good call back phone number, and a little bit about your concern. The staff will get back to you as soon as they can. Wait times vary based on the time of year or quarter.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
The University of Washington requires all students, including students in fully online programs, to be vaccinated against COVID-19 if they do not receive a medical or religious exemption.
Newly admitted students must upload proof of their COVID-19 vaccine or the medical or religious exemption forms to be able to register for winter quarter courses. Otherwise, a registration block will be placed until the requirement is met.
Students verify their vaccination status through the secure online form linked below. You will use your UW NetID and password to log in. If you are in the Social Work program, you should follow the processes and deadlines of the Health Sciences Immunization Program (HSIP), instead of completing the Hall Health Center verification.
Email covidvaxrequirement@uw.edu with questions related to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement.