4 - 02.6

Administrative policy on mandatory immunization/ screening of students

  1. Purpose: This policy is established as a health and safety practice for the entire university community. Immunization of students will mitigate the risk of communicable disease outbreaks that can jeopardize the university community's health and well-being.  University health services is responsible for enforcing this rule.
  2. Definitions:
    1. Student. For the purposes of this policy, “student” is defined as any person who is enrolled for one or more credit hours at the university and who is attending classes at the Kent campus.
    2. International student. For the purposes of this policy, “international student” is defined as any person who is not a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident, or part of the Jay Treaty, who is enrolled for one or more credit hours at the university, and is attending classes at the Kent campus.
  3.  Requirements:
    1. Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization:
      1. All students enrolling for classes at the Kent campus, and born on or after January 1, 1957, are required to provide documentation of immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella.
      2. Students are required to submit documentation of measles, mumps and rubella immunity from a licensed health care provider to university health services by Friday of the first week of the student’s first semester of enrollment.
    2. Tuberculosis screening:
      1. All international students from countries having a high prevalence of tuberculosis, as designated by the world health organization, are required to provide documentation of freedom from tuberculosis.
      2. Documentation of freedom from tuberculosis, as determined by skin test or blood test within twelve months prior to the first day of classes, must be submitted to university health services by Friday of the first week of the student’s first semester of enrollment.
    3. Policy exemptions:
      1. Any student that is enrolled only for online classes, or enrolled only for classes at a regional Kent state university campus, or a site other than the Kent campus, or attending workshops that meet for two weeks or less in duration is exempt from the MMR immunity and tuberculosis screening requirements.
      2. Medical exemption from the MMR requirement may be is granted upon submission to university health services of a licensed physician’s statement that the student has a valid contraindication to MMR vaccine.
      3. Religious exemption from the MMR requirement may be granted if a student aged eighteen or older (or parent/guardian if student is under eighteen years of age), submits a signed religious exemption form to university health services.
  4. Violation:
    1. Students who do not submit documentation of the required immunizations and tuberculosis screening by Friday of the first week of the student's first semester of enrollment, may be deregistered from classes for the remainder of that semester.
    2. In the event of an outbreak, as defined by the Ohio department of health, students who have not submitted documentation of immunity to measles, mumps and rubella may be excluded from campus as required by city or state public health authorities.
Policy Effective Date:
Aug 03, 2015
Policy Prior Effective Dates: 
10/30/1992, 6/1/2007, 3/1/2015