Immunization Recommendations and Screening Requirements for California Colleges & Universities with Student Housing
Requiring immunizations at your campus can help keep your students and staff protected from certain diseases. Increased immunization rates can help:
- Keep staff and students focused on their academics
- Reduce the likelihood of requiring additional staff time during a disease-related outbreak
- Reduce medical costs to our California institutions and students
The combination of weakening protection from some childhood vaccines and crowded campus housing living situations can place college students at greater risk for catching or spreading a disease. Vaccine-preventable diseases and outbreaks continue to occur on college campuses, including measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), and meningococcal disease. During disease outbreaks, the costs related to investigating each case and outbreak are significant and can be a huge burden for universities, public health departments, and health care systems.
To help protect students and staff, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urges all California colleges and universities with campus housing to implement these recommendations at their campus:
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āMeasles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
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ā2 doses on or after 1st birthdayā
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āAll incoming students born after 1956.
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āCSU and UC Systems require 2 doses.
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āNA
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āVaricella (chickenpox)
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ā2 doses on or after 1st birthdayā
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āAll incoming students born in U.S. after 1979.
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āCSU and UC Systems require 2 doses.
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āNA
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Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (Tdap)
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ā1 dose on or after the 7th birthdayā”
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āAll incoming students.
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āCSU and UC Systems require 1 dose after age 7 years.
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āNA
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Meningococcal ConjugateĀ§ (Serogroups A, C, Y, & W-135) (MenACWY)
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ā1 dose on or after the 16th birthday
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āAll incoming students through 21 years of ageĀ§Ā¶
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āCSU and UC Systems require 1 dose on or after age 16 years and age 21 years or younger.
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āInstitutions that provide on-campus housing must inform students about meningococcal disease and vaccine. Public institutions must document receipt of information and whether they choose to be immunized (Health and Safety Code, Sections 120395-120399).**
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āMeningococcal Serogroup B Vaccine (optional)Ā¶
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ā2-dose series (BexseroĀ®) 2 or 3-dose series (TrumenbaĀ®)
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āStudents 16 through 23 years of age may receive the vaccine series (optional).Ā¶ **
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āNA
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āInstitutions that provide on-campus housing must inform students about meningococcal disease and vaccine. Public institutions must document receipt of information and whether they choose to be immunized (Health and Safety Code, Sections 120395-120399).**
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āHepatitis Bā ā
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āFull immunization series
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āFirst-time enrollees at California State University campuses 18 years of age and younger. All incoming students desiring protection.
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āNA
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āFirst-time enrollees at CSU 18 years of age and younger (Health and Safety Code, Section 120390.5).ā
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* Students in health professions may have additional immunization requirements and fewer exemptions.
ā Minimum interval of 4 weeks between doses is valid.
ā” Additional recommendations include: Completion of primary tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis series; Td boosters every 10 years after initial Tdap.
Ā§ ACIP recommends MenACWY routinely at age 11 through 12 years, with a booster dose at age 16 years. First-year college students who live in residential housing are recommended to receive MenACWY if they did not receive a dose on or after their 16th birthday.
Ā¶ Students of any age determined to be at-risk in an institutional outbreak attributable to a meningococcal vaccine serogroup are also recommended to get vaccinated. San Diego State University requires the full series of either Men B vaccine.
** Check with your doctor or health plan about vaccine availability and coverage.
ā ā Hep B vaccine may be given to students of any age desiring protection. ACHA recommends the Hep B vaccine series for all college students
For more details, please download the most current Recommendations for Immunization and Screening Requirements for California Colleges & Universities with Student Housing (PDF).
Meningococcal Informing Law
California State law mandates that UC's with on-campus housing inform students about meningococcal disease and vaccine. UC's must also document students' receipt of information and whether they choose to get immunized (Health and Safety Code Sections 120395ā120399).
Required Immunizations for the California State University System
Effective fall 2020, the California State University System requires that students are current on immunizations listed here (PDF) and Coronavirus (COVID-19)ā.
Required Immunization at the University of California
The University of California is committed to protecting the health and well-being of their students. Vaccination against potentially severe and preventable illnesses is a proven strategy to protect individuals and the community. Therefore, UC requires ALL incoming students to follow the recommendations of the California Department of Public Health Immunization Branch for immunizations and screening for tuberculosis prior to beginning their studies at any of the UC campuses. All students on UC campuses are required to document that immunization and TB screening requirements have been met. Please confirm details with your specific UC campus of interest.
Executive Order UC-HS-17-0320 November 15, 2016
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University of California, Berkeley
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University of California, Davis
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University of California, Irvine
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University of California, Los Angeles
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University of California, Merced
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University of California, Riverside
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University of California, Santa Barbara
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University of California, Santa Cruz
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University of California, San Diego
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University of California, San Francisco
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