Required Immunizations and Tuberculosis screening

Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccination Requirement

  • All students born after December 31, 1956 are required to provide documentation of two MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccinations received after the first birthday. This information must be on file before a student is permitted to register.
  • For information about the availability of MMR vaccinations, please contact the Health Center (health@plu.edu or 253-535-7337). Full vaccination requires 2 doses. If a second dose is required (some individuals completed only one dose in childhood), it must be administered no sooner than 4 weeks after the first. If no documentation is available, titers can be done to prove immunity. Please contact us for the current price for titers.
  • If you wish to be exempt from this requirement, the MMR Immunization Exemption form must be completed and submitted to the Health Center. Exemptions can be based on medical or religious reasons. If a student is granted an exemption and there is a suspected disease outbreak on campus, the student will be restricted from the campus for the duration of the outbreak.  In addition, exempt students may be ineligible for certain university-sponsored activities. These activities may include, but are not limited to off-campus programs and classes, athletic programs and competitions, and study abroad.

Tuberculosis testing

  • International students, faculty and visiting scholars from countries at increased risk for tuberculosis, per World Health Organization guidelines, will be required to have a tuberculosis test called a T-spot. This blood test must be done at the Student Health Center after arrival at PLU.
  • MMR vaccinations and the Tb blood test may be done at the same time.  Both of these are available to international students at the PLU Health Center and will be billed to your international insurance.

Immunizations We Strongly Recommend

Although PLU does not require students to have the following vaccines, we strongly urge students to obtain these immunizations. These immunizations can help protect each student, as well as the PLU community as a whole. Each of these vaccines is a standard, routine vaccine, advised by the American College Health Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 

PLU COVID-19 Vaccination Recommendation

  • The COVID vaccination is not required to enroll at PLU.
  • All students are strongly recommended to have the COVID vaccine and any recommended boosters.
  • Health Services does not provide the COVID vaccine but it is available at most pharmacies, health departments and many primary care clinics. 

Washington State recently experienced the worst whooping cough (Pertussis) outbreak in 50 years. This infection passes through the air, and it spreads easily through college campuses. It is known as the “100 day cough,” since it is a prolonged, debilitating illness. A booster vaccine is advised every ten years.

Meningitis is a life-threatening infection that is passed through the air. The mortality rate is more than 30 percent. There have been outbreaks in several college campuses during the past year. The CDC urges a booster of the MenACWY vaccine every five years for college students.     PLU recommends the additional MenB vaccine. This vaccine covers the strain most associated with outbreaks of meningitis on residential college campuses. We recommend you discuss this vaccine with your primary care provider before arriving on campus.

This is a standard, routine vaccine for all American men and women at age 13. This vaccine is a safe, effective way to reduce the risks of many kinds of cancer. This includes cancers of the mouth, throat, cervix, and there are links to prostate cancer and heart disease.

Most American children are vaccinated against chickenpox. If you have not been vaccinated and if you have never had the Chickenpox disease, it can be a serious illness during college.

This is a routine vaccination for children in the United States. Hepatitis A is usually passed through contaminated food or person-to-person contact.

This is a routine vaccination for children in the United States. Hepatitis B can cause a rapidly progressive, life-threatening liver cancer.

Locate Your Immunization Records

These may be available from your high school, primary care provider, or your own records. Verify that you have received these vaccines. If you were born in Washington State, the PLU Health Center may be able to obtain some records using a state registry. You are welcome to call us (253-535-7337) or send email to health@plu.edu for assistance.

IF YOU NEED VACCINES:

If it is before your 19th birthday:
These vaccines are provided by the PLU Health Center at no charge.

If it is after your 19th birthday:
You may obtain these vaccines from the PLU Health Center for a fee. We can provide you with a statement to send to your insurance company. We do not bill insurance companies directly, and we can never guarantee that an insurer will reimburse you. We urge you to talk with your insurance company first. If necessary, you may be able to obtain these vaccines from a retail pharmacy or from another healthcare provider. Please make certain that the PLU Health Center has updated immunization records for you.

After undergoing these vaccines, please send us a record of your immunizations so that we can keep your file up to date. You may FAX a copy to (253-536-5042), scan and email the record to health@plu.edu, or send a paper copy to the PLU Health Center, Tacoma WA 98447-0003.