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Immunity Verification Requirement
Table of Contents: Measles and Mumps • Meningitis ACWY • Documents • WAIIS Verification • Deadlines • Which Students Need to Meet the Requirements • Exemptions • FAQ • Submit Records
To protect the health and safety of our students, faculty, academic personnel, staff, and broader community, the University of Washington requires all students to be vaccinated against Measles, Mumps, and Meningitis Meningococcal ACWY, with certain exemptions allowed.
If these requirements are not met, students will not be able to register for classes. Students are responsible for their own immunizations and requirements, and must submit documents themselves. The IVP does not have access to UW Medicine or Husky Health Center internal documents. This means that receiving vaccinations at Husky Health Center will not automatically be put into the documents to be verified. Students must receive documentation and submit their documents themselves.
Knowingly furnishing false information to any University official violates the Student Conduct Code under WAC 478-121-110.
The Immunity Verification Program will process student records within 3-4 business days, and possibly longer during busier times.
Requirements
All documents must show the student’s name, date of birth, and must be from a verifiable source. Students may also submit a General Immunity Form, signed by a medical professional, but not required if also submitting other verifiable immunization records, such as clinic immunization reports.
Returning students who entered UW before September 25th, 2019, will be subject to a review of their previously submitted immunizations to ensure they satisfy all current requirements.
Measles and Mumps
Students must satisfy the Measles and Mumps requirement by showing proof of two MMR (Measles-Mumps-Rubella), OR two Measles and two Mumps vaccines, OR positive Measles (Rubeola) and Mumps titers (blood immunity test). Upload your documents here.
To fulfill the requirements, Measles and Mumps vaccines and/or titers must meet the following conditions:
- Measles and Mumps vaccines, or MMR vaccines, must be taken after the student’s first birthday and taken at least 28 days apart.
- The length of time between an MMR vaccine dose and a titer test must also be at least 28 days.
- If a student submits Measles and Mumps titers, the University of Washington can only accept positive Measles and Mumps IgG titers.
- If a student takes a titer test and the titer test is not positive, the student will need to receive an MMR vaccine. After 28 days, the student can receive a second MMR vaccine or a second titer test. If the results of second titers are still not positive, the student will need to receive a second MMR.
- Adults above the age of 50 should discuss their MMR requirements with their medical care team, as there may be some risks involved. To satisfy the requirement, students may also request a Measles and Mumps titer test, or an exemption from the requirement.
Students who were born before January 1st, 1957, non-matriculated students, students in a fully online program, students who are only enrolled for one quarter, and students who are in the Health Sciences Immunization Program do not have to fulfill the Measles and Mumps requirement.
Accepted versions of the Measles and Mumps vaccines are:
- ME (Measles)
- MR (Measles-Rubella)
- MV (Measles-Varicella)
- MM (Measles-Mumps)
- MUMPS (Mumps)
- MMR (Measles-Mumps-Rubella)
- MMRV (Measles-Mumps-Rubella-Varicella)
- Priorix (Measles-Mumps-Rubella)
- Tresivac (Measles-Mumps-Rubella)
Unaccepted versions of the Measles and Mumps vaccines are:
- Trimovax
To learn more, here is the Center of Disease Control’s information about Measles, Mumps, and the MMR vaccine.
Meningitis ACWY
Students ages 16 through 21 require proof of Meningitis ACWY (meningococcal conjugate) vaccine taken on or after the students’ 16th birthday. Upload your documents here.
- The Meningitis ACWY vaccine should be taken on or after students’ 16th birthday. Students under the age of 16 are not required to fulfill the requirement until their 16th birthday.
- The University of Washington does not accept Meningitis B vaccines in place of the ACWY variant.
- If students cannot receive the correct Meningitis ACWY in their current location or home country, they will need to receive it when they arrive in the United States.
Accepted versions of the Meningitis ACWY vaccine are:
- Menveo
- Menactra
- MenQuadFi
- Nimenrix
- Penbraya (Meningitis ABCWY)
- MCV4 (Generic)
Unaccepted versions of the Meningitis ACWY vaccine are:
- Meningitis polysaccharide (MPSV4) vaccines
- Menmune
- Mencevax
- MenHibRix
- NeisVac-C
- Menjugate Kit
- Meningitec
- MenAfriVac
- Formening
- Menivax
- Generic MCV4 from China (but generic MCV4 from HongKong or Taiwan are acceptable)
- Meningococcal AC Polysaccharide (Non-US) – Please make sure that you ask your clinic/pharmacy to write down which specific vaccine you received
To learn more, here is the Center of Disease Control’s information about Meningococcal and the Meningitis ACWY vaccine.
Students in the Health Sciences Immunization Program need to submit proof of Meningitis ACWY vaccination to Med+Proctor if under the age of 22. For all other immunization requirements related to your program, please submit documents through CastleBranch. Your program will send you an email with your CastleBranch account information before your first quarter.
What documents should students submit?
The Immunity Verification Program accepts:
- Immunization records from a clinic or hospital
- K-12 transcripts that show immunizations
- Official handwritten immunization booklets
- The General Immunity Form, signed by a medical professional
- Pharmacy prescription documents/receipts for vaccinations
- State or country government documents. For vaccinations taken in Washington state, students can use the website MyIRMobile. For vaccinations taken in other states, students can find more information on our State Immunization Registries document. Students who received vaccinations outside of the United States are encouraged to request their immunization documents from their primary physician.
- Students who are current or former military members: the Immunity Verification Program accepts forms DD 214 and DD 2766.
Every document must have the student’s name and date of birth, vaccination date and brand, and must be verified by either a medical professional or an immunization report. It must be a legal, official report.
WAIIS Verification
If students have received vaccines in the state of Washington, the Washington State Immunization Information System (WAIIS) may contain their immunization records. Students may authorize UW to query WAIIS for these records by updating their Consent for Immunization Record Query. The Immunity Verification Program does not recheck WAIIS records after the first time students have submitted their consent. If a student has received another immunization recently and wants the IVP to review their record again, they will need to contact the program.
Exemptions
Students may request an exemption to all or part of the Measles, Mumps, and Meningitis ACWY vaccination requirement. Exemptions must be reviewed and signed by a medical professional. Students will need to complete this process even if they previously had an immunization exemption at another school, or had one as a child and are now an adult. If there is an outbreak of Measles, Mumps, or Meningitis ACWY, the student with an exemption may be asked to leave the campus during the outbreak. Here is the exemption form.
Deadline
Immunizations are required 3 weeks into your first quarter, except for Summer quarter. If students do not fulfill the requirement by the deadline, they may have a registration block for the next registration period. The IVP can offer brief one-time extensions, but also encourage students to fulfill the requirements well before the deadline to avoid a delay. For more information about deadlines and immunization events, please refer to our Calendar of Events page.
| Entering Quarter | Deadline | Registration Block |
| Spring 2024 | April 19, 2024 | May 3, 2024 |
| Summer 2024 | September 11, 2024 | September 25, 2024 |
| Autumn 2024 | October 17, 2024 | October 31, 2024 |
| Winter 2025 | January 31st | February 14th, 2025 |
If a student tries to register during their registration period but before the deadline in the Upcoming Registration Block, like the image below, the student will be able to register.
Students who must meet the requirements
| Student Type | Measles | Mumps | Meningitis ACWY (If between 16-21 years old) | HSIP Requirements |
| Matriculated* |  |
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| Non-Matriculated Students* | ||||
| HSIP Students** | |
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| Students born before January 1, 1957 | ||||
| Exchange Students | |
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Students in 100% Online Programs*** |
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| Students who study online but are not in 100% Online Programs | |
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| Online PCE Students | ||||
| Students who are enrolled for only one Quarter |
*Matriculated students are formally admitted to the University; a nonmatriculated or a graduate nonmatriculated student is one who isn’t formally admitted to the University.
**Health Science Immunization Program students can find their specific requirements here. If you are not sure if you are an HSIP student, please follow the link before or our FAQ page. HSIP Students under 22 years old must still submit their Meningitis ACWY vaccine to the Submission Portal.
***For a list of all 100% Online Programs, please refer to the FAQ page.
Vaccine Recommendations
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.
- Diphtheria-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)
- COVID-19
The COVID-19 vaccine is no longer required for students except those in the Health Sciences Immunization Program. Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccination remains strongly encouraged and is an important health measure to reduce the risk of severe illness. Please also follow the University’s COVID-19 Public Health Flowchart if you develop symptoms, test positive, or have an exposure to COVID-19.
Last update: August 23 2024
