Immunization Policy FAQs

 

Q: When does the UC Immunization Plan go into effect?

A: The UC Immunization Plan begins Fall 2015 with an “Educational” Phase, whereby all incoming students, the UC campuses, and the community are notified that vaccination will be required the following year.

 

Q: How does UC determine which vaccines and screening to require? 

A: UC is following the recommendations of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Immunization Branch for Colleges and Universities.   The current requirements reflect  those in place on February 1, 2016.  However, UC reserves the right to modify these requirements pending revisions to the recommendations by CDPH.  Changes in CDPH’s recommendations will be incorporated into the requirements affecting the incoming fall class each year. 

In general, these requirements pertain to those vaccine-preventable illnesses that can be spread by respiratory secretions (saliva, coughing, sneezing), and pose a risk to others who might become ill due to classroom contact.  These include, measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), pertussis (whooping cough), varicella (Chickenpox), and meningitis vaccines, as well as screening for tuberculosis.  The state previously mandated that all persons age 18 and younger, be vaccinated against hepatitis B virus, and this vaccine will continue to be required for all incoming UC students.

 

Q: Why is UC implementing this policy? 

A: There has been an increase in vaccine-preventable illnesses over the past 5-10 years, and now many illnesses that we thought were disappearing are returning.   Although many of these diseases are considered “mild”, they can cause serious illness and death.   Both pertussis and measles were responsible for deaths and intensive care hospital stays for hundreds of people in California during the past two years.

 

Q: Why wasn’t this done sooner? 

A: The cost of vaccination was often a barrier to getting all the recommended immunizations.

However, the Affordable Care Act has mandated that preventive services, such as vaccination, be covered at 100%--meaning that  these services are now available to all.

Another reason that UC did not pursue an immunization policy in the past had to do with the time and cost for staff to gather, review, and verify students’ immunization records. However, now all of the campuses use the same electronic medical record system that enables students to enter their immunization history directly into their medical record. Each campus may verify some, or all, of these records by obtaining a copy of the yellow vaccination record, or another form of proof. However, we anticipate automating the verification process over the next several years, and thereby limiting additional staff time needed for this process.

 

Q: I was not vaccinated as a child. Will I not be admitted to UC until all of the vaccinations have been obtained? 

A: By fall of 2017, all of the UC campuses will implement registration holds for students who have not documented completion, or in process of completing, all of the required vaccines.  Several campuses already implement registration holds if students have not met the hepatitis B and/or tuberculosis screening requirement. However, there is variation on which campuses will be placing holds during the 2016-17 academic year.  Please check with your campus Student Health Service for information regarding the timeline for registration holds related to immunization requirements.

 

Q; I/my family have concerns regarding the safety of vaccines, and have chosen not to be vaccinated.  Will I be prevented from attending classes at UC if I do not obtain the required vaccines?

A: While we respect your personal/religious beliefs, both you and those around you who are unable to be vaccinated or who have weakened immune systems are at risk for serious illness if a disease takes hold in a community. This has become more common in situations where a large percentage of the community is unvaccinated—leading to some of the recent outbreaks in mumps, measles, and pertussis seen in our state.

Therefore, we expect all incoming students abide by the Immunization Plan requirements.

 

Q: I had an allergic reaction to a vaccination.   Am I still required to be vaccinated to enter UC?

A: It is very important that your doctor/nurse practitioner who cared for you at that time, document what happened to you when you had the problem with vaccination. If you had a true “allergic reaction”, then we will need to know which vaccination caused the problem, and whether you were able to become immune to that illness. You will need to complete a “Medical Exemption Request” form, and submit to your campus health center.  

 

Q: Is there a process to request a personal/religious belief exemption from the UC Immunization Plan?

A: The UC convened a task force over the summer of 2015 to examine what types of exemptions from the policy should be considered, and what the appropriate documentation and appeals process should be.  This work group included representatives from every campus, as well as a leading medical ethicist and representatives from the California Department of Public Health. The Task Force has recommended that only Medical Exemptions be allowed, but has created a process whereby students can appeal denials of their request by an appeals group that includes three or more  task force members, including at least one primary care provider and  infectious disease specialist.  Students who have submitted appeals will be able to attend courses during the quarter/semester  that their appeal is undergoing review.

 

Q: Will I be able to get the vaccines I need from the Student Health Center on my campus?

A: Yes, all of the campus Student Health Centers stock and administer the required vaccinations.

However, our expectation is that you receive these vaccines BEFORE starting at UC. Furthermore, most of the campuses are not able to bill insurance plans other than their respective Student Health Insurance Plans—which means you would need to pay out of pocket for these immunizations if you do NOT have the SHIP plan on your campus.