Health/Immunization Requirements

The Student Health Center wants to ensure you have a safe and healthy experience as an HU graduate student. After you have completed the first step in the enrollment process (paid your student enrollment deposit) and set up your student email account (once it has been provisioned) you will need to submit your health clearance documentation to Howard University’s Student Health Center via the HU Student Health Portal. Click on the yellow button directly below, "Submit Your Health Records," when you are ready to submit your documentation to the HU Student Health Portal. 

Mandatory immunizations and health screenings are based on District of Columbia law as well as guidance from the CDC and the American College Health Association. Health and immunization requirements vary based on a student’s age and major classification. See the section below, "Health Requirements by Student Population," to view the documentation you will need to submit.

The Office of Graduate School Student Affairs has compiled this webpage so that you are familiar with the University’s medical clearance/immunization requirements. You can also refer to the Student Health website to help facilitate the completion of these requirements.

Important Note

  • Please note that you must complete the relevant medical forms found under "My Forms" in the HU Student Health Portal and provide them to your medical provider, where applicable. Forms found outside of the HU Student Health Portal are not current, and submitting external forms may delay lifting a medical hold that may have been placed on your student account.
Submit Your Health Records Student Health Website

Health Requirements by Student Population

Students Under the Age of 26

If you are under age 26:

District of Columbia law requires all students under 26 newly enrolled at the University to show proof of certain immunizations - or proof of immunity through serum titer lab work. You will need to complete three things:

  1. Download the Immunization Certificate Form (and instructions) from the Online Immunization Form under “My Forms” in your Student Health Portal. Take this form to your healthcare provider, have them complete and sign it, then upload the signed certificate form (and any supporting documentation or titer lab reports) to your Student Health Portal. Make sure the vaccination dates entered on the Immunization Certificate Form are in the format: mm-dd-yyyy. 

    Don't currently have a healthcare provider? You can submit your existing immunization record in place of the signed certificate form. Upload a legible copy of your vaccination record - a childhood immunization card, a record from a previous school, or a printout from a prior medical provider - and enter the corresponding dates - in mm-dd-yyyy format - into the Online Immunization Form. The University will review and verify your record directly.

  2. In addition to completing the Immunization Certificate Form, complete the Online Immunization Form in your Student Health Portal. You must manually enter every vaccination date from your completed Immunization Certificate Form - in mm-dd-yyyy format. The University uses this online form to verify compliance, so the manual entry step is essential.
  3. Once you've uploaded the certificate form and all supporting documentation, click Submit (only once) to complete the immunization requirements submission process. 
  4. Complete the Online TB Screening Form under "My Forms" in the Student Health Portal. If your screening is negative, you are done and don't need to do anything further.  If your screening is positive, you will need to upload to your Student Health Portal, under the "Document Upload" section, proof of a TB test (QuantiFERON Gold Blood TB test, T-Spot test, or TB skin test). The date of the laboratory test must within one year of from the date of submission. If the test result is also positive, a chest X-ray report showing a normal (negative) result is required.

Don’t have immunization records for MMR, Varicella, or Hepatitis B?

Upload your titer lab results showing immunity instead. If your titer shows you are not immune, you will need to complete the vaccination series. Tdap and Meningococcal vaccinations cannot be verified by titer - they must be obtained.

Please note that a Meningococcal vaccine administered after age 16 is required for students living in University housing - exemptions are not accepted for on-campus housing.

Review the full list of required immunizations are listed below under "Required Vaccinations."

Non-Health Sciences Students Age 26 and Older

If you are age 26 or over:

You do not need to complete the Immunization Certificate Form or the Online Immunization Form. You only need to complete one thing:

  1. Complete the Online TB Screening Form under "My Forms" in the Student Health Portal. 

If your screening is negative, you are done and don't need to do anything further.  If your screening is positive, you will need to upload to your Student Health Portal, under the "Document Upload" section, proof of a TB test (QuantiFERON Gold Blood TB test, T-Spot test, or TB skin test). The date of the laboratory test must within one year of from the date of submission. If the test result is also positive, a chest X-ray report showing a normal (negative) result is required.

All Health Sciences/Medical Students

All Health Sciences and Medical students* (regardless of age) newly enrolled at the University are required to show proof of certain immunizations and submit the following documentation:

  • All Health Sciences and Medical students* (regardless of age) are required to provide proof of certain immunizations (see immunization requirements section below). Health Sciences/Medical students are required to show proof of immunity by serum titers for the MMR, Varicella, and Hepatitis B vaccines noted on the relevant HU Student Health Portal forms.
  • Download the Immunization Certificate Form (and instructions) from the Online Immunization Form under “My Forms” in your Student Health Portal. Take this form to your healthcare provider, have them complete and sign it, then upload the signed certificate form (and any supporting documentation and titer lab reports for the relevant vaccines noted) to your Student Health Portal. Make sure the vaccination dates entered on the Immunization Certificate Form are in the format: mm-dd-yyyy. 
  • In addition to completing the Immunization Certificate Form, complete the Online Immunization Form in your Student Health Portal. You must manually enter every vaccination date from your completed Immunization Certificate Form - in mm-dd-yyyy format. The University uses this online form to verify compliance, so the manual entry step is essential.
  • Once you've uploaded the certificate form and all supporting documentation, click Submit (only once) to complete the immunization requirements submission process. 
  • Complete the Online TB Screening Form under "My Forms" in the Student Health Portal. If your screening is negative, you are done and don't need to do anything further.  If your screening is positive, you will need to upload to your Student Health Portal, under the "Document Upload" section, proof of a TB test (QuantiFERON Gold Blood TB test, T-Spot test, or TB skin test). The date of the laboratory test must within one year of from the date of submission. If the test result is also positive, a chest X-ray report showing a normal (negative) result is required.

*Health Sciences/Medical students are designated as students enrolled in the College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, and College of Pharmacy. Students enrolled in the Graduate School are considered "Non-Health Science majors" for the purposes of health requirements completion.

Immunization Requirements

Only students under the age of 26 or Health Sciences/Medical students (students enrolled in the College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, and College of Pharmacy) must provide proof of the required vaccinations identified below. For non-Health Sciences/non-Medical students under the age of 26, serologic titers which document immunity to Varicella, Hepatitis B and Measles, Mumps, and Rubella are acceptable in place of these particular vaccine requirements. 

All Health Sciences/Medical students (students enrolled in the College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, and College of Pharmacy), regardless of age, are required to show proof of immunity by serum titers for the relevant vaccines noted on the relevant HU Student Health Portal forms.

Required Vaccinations

  1. Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) dose 1 given after one year of age or proof of immunity by serum titers/lab work
  2. Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) dose 2 given at least 4 weeks after MMR dose 1 or proof of immunity by serum titers/lab work
  3. Hepatitis B Vaccine Series (three doses) or proof of immunity by serum titers/lab work 
    • Hepatitis B dose 1
    • Hepatitis B dose 2 given at least 4 weeks after dose 1
    • Hepatitis B dose 3 given at least 8 weeks after dose 2 
      OR
    • Hepatitis B series given according to the CDC Hepatitis accelerated schedule (2 doses are accepted)
  4. Varicella (Chicken Pox) dose 1 given after one year of age or proof of immunity by serum titers/lab work (provide month and year)
  5. Varicella (Chicken Pox) dose 2 given at least 4 weeks after Varicella dose 1 or proof of immunity by serum titers/lab work (provide month and year)
  6. Tetanus-Diphtheria booster or Tdap Vaccine given within the past 10 years as an adult
  7. Meningococcal Vaccine [A, C, Y, W-135, MenACWY (Menveo, MenQuadfi or Menactra) or Meningococcal B; booster required if given before the age of 16]. 1 dose required after the age of 16. This vaccine is required to live on campus; waivers are not excepted for on-campus housing.
  8. Polio Vaccine Series (required only for students under the age of 18) - 4 doses of IPV (inactivated poliovirus vaccine)
  9. Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Questionnaire or documentation of a negative chest X-ray, QuantiFERON test, T Spot test, or TB skin test (if there is a history of positive PPD). The date of laboratory test must within one year of from the date of submission.

How to Submit Your Records

To properly submit your health records and documentation, please review the Student Health website for specific instructions on how to upload your records to the HU Student Health Portal. Only Student Health Portal forms will be accepted.

Documentation from outside the U.S. is accepted if the laboratory report clearly states (in English): the laboratory name and contact information, your name and date of birth, the date of the test, and the date of result. At their discretion, the Student Health Center may require repeat testing in the U.S.

Once you have paid the enrollment fee/deposit and you have been assigned an HU email and student ID number, to get started on submitting your health records and supporting documents, please log onto the HU Student Health Portal.

Medical or Religious Exemption

Students seeking a medical and religious exemptions from immunization requirements should request this by emailing studenthealthforms@howard.edu to request the Medical or Religious Immunization Exemption Form. Please note the following:

  • If certain immunizations are contraindicated due to a medical condition, you may be exempt from immunization requirements. You will need to submit the Medical Immunization Exemption Form signed by your medical provider. 
  • You may also be exempt from immunizations due to your religious beliefs. In this case, you should submit a notarized Religious Immunization Exemption Form signed by your clergy or religious leader.
  • If you are approved for an exemption from vaccination requirements, it is recommended that you present evidence of immunity by serum titers/ lab work where acceptable.
  • Please note: A Meningococcal Vaccine administered after age 16 is required for students who wish to live in University housing; waivers are not excepted for on-campus housing

Questions about exemptions can be emailed to studenthealthforms@howard.edu.

Health/Immunization Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Answers to your health/immunization requirements frequently asked questions

I cannot access the HU Student Health Portal. What can I do?

You will need to have access to your HU student email account in order to access the HU Student Health Portal. For more information about how to set up your HU student email, please review your admissions offer email. Please contact the HU Helpdesk regarding issues with obtaining your HU student email. Once you have your HU email set up, you can log in to the HU Student Health Portal.

I am a student enrolled in the Graduate School. Do I need to complete the documented immunization requirements?

This depends. Non-Health Sciences or Non-Medical students 26 years of age and older only need to submit the required Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Questionnaire.

However, non-Health Sciences or Non-Medical students under the age of 26, are required to provide proof of certain immunizations (see immunization requirements section above) or proof of immunity by serum titers for the relevant vaccines noted in addition to completing the required TB Screening Questionnaire.

All Health Sciences/Medical students (students enrolled in the College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, and College of Pharmacy), regardless of age, are required to show proof of immunity by serum titers for the relevant vaccines noted on the relevant HU Student Health Portal forms, in addition to completing the required TB Screening Questionnaire.

I am a student enrolled in the MS in Applied Data Science and Analytics program within the Graduate School, which is an online program. Am I required to complete the immunization/health requirements?

Online students enrolled in the Graduate School’s M.S. in Applied Data Science and Analytics program are exempt from submitting the immunization/health requirements. All other students enrolled in the Graduate School must fulfill the requirements noted for the relevant student population.

I am over the age of 26. Do I still need to complete the Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Questionnaire?

Yes. All students, regardless of age, are screened for Tuberculosis risk by completing the Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Questionnaire within the HU Student Health Portal. The screening questions are consistent with the guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and the American College Health Association. Depending on the responses to those questions, some students will also need to complete a Tuberculosis test.

If I complete the Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Questionnaire and the results show a positive TB screening, am I required to complete a TB test and show proof of a negative result?

Yes, if you have a positive TB screening, you must provide proof of a TB test (i.e., QuantiFERON Gold Blood TB test, T Spot test, or TB skin test and upload this documentation to the HU Student Health Portal. If your TB test result is positive, you will need to have a chest x-ray to make sure you do not have active tuberculosis. You must upload your X-ray report showing a normal (negative) chest X-ray. If your TB test result is negative, you do not need to do anything further.

I am over the age of 26. Do I still need to complete the documented immunization requirements?

This depends. If you are a Non-Health Sciences/Non-Medical student, then you only need to complete the Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Questionnaire.

However, Health Sciences and Medical students (students enrolled in the College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, and College of Pharmacy), regardless of age, must complete the documented immunization requirements and show proof of immunity by serum titers for the relevant vaccines noted on the relevant HU Student Health Portal forms, in addition to completing the required Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Questionnaire.

I am part of a student population that is required to submit immunization records. However, my records are no longer available from my doctor’s office or I do not currently have access to a medical provider. What can I do?

Non-Health Sciences/Non-Medical Students: You can contact your previous high school/college, medical providers or your parents for your records (Learn how to locate your childhood immunization records) and submit this information as an upload to your Online Immunization Form. If these options are not available to you or if you do not have access to your prior immunization records, you will need to have a blood test called a blood titer to prove immunity to the following required immunizations: Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella (Chicken Pox).* A blood titer will show if you have either had the disease in the past, or have immunity based on prior vaccination. If your results show that you do not have immunity, you will need to be vaccinated to fulfill the requirement.

The following immunizations are not able to be tested for immunity and would need to be obtained prior to your medical hold being lifted: Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap) and Meningococcal Vaccine. 

*All Health Sciences/Medical students (students enrolled in the College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, and College of Pharmacy) are required to show proof of immunity by serum titers for the relevant vaccines noted on the relevant HU Student Health Portal forms.

What is a titer? What is a titer lab report?

A titer is a laboratory test that measures the presence and amount of antibodies in the blood. A titer may be used to prove immunity to disease. A blood sample is taken and tested. If the test is positive (above a particular known value), the individual has immunity. If the test is negative (no immunity) or equivocal (not enough immunity), you need to be vaccinated. A Titer Lab Report is generated by the lab that tested the blood sample.

The state or country where I am from has different immunization requirements than what is required by the District of Columbia. Shouldn’t these be accepted?

Students must comply with the District of Columbia’s immunization requirements (follow HU immunization requirements guidelines) regardless of their home state or country’s immunization requirements.  If there are any immunizations required by the University that you are missing, you should arrange to receive these prior to your enrollment and submit updated records via HU Student Health Portal.

I did not have the Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccination because I contracted the Chicken Pox. What do I need to do?

If you did not have the Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccination but had the disease, you will need to provide physician documentation of the disease (including the month and year of disease). Otherwise, you will need to obtain blood titer results for Varicella (Chicken Pox). 

However, all Health Sciences/Medical students (students enrolled in the College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, and College of Pharmacy), are required to show proof of immunity by serum titers for the relevant vaccines noted on the relevant HU Student Health Portal forms.

How do I know if my documentation has been accepted?

You can log into the HU Student Health Portal to check your immunization status. Please allow some weeks for processing of your information before checking your status via the Student Health Portal. 

Are students required to pay a fee to gain access to the HU Student Health Portal to submit documentation?

No, there is no fee for access to the HU Student Health Portal and to submit the required documentation.

What do I need to do if I wish to be exempted from receiving immunizations due to my medical history or religious beliefs?

Students seeking a medical and religious exemptions from immunization requirements should request this by emailing studenthealthforms@howard.edu to request the Medical or Religious Immunization Exemption Form.Any questions about the exemption can be emailed to studenthealthforms@howard.edu.