New Students

Immunization Waver

• College Health Requirements
• PA Law on Meningitis Vaccinations

College Health Requirements

Congratulations on your acceptance to Saint Vincent College.  Your academic success and personal growth play an important role in determining your future. In the College Wellness Center we also feel that maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help you achieve your goals.  To do this, the Center provides a health care system for individuals with acute or chronic illnesses, as well as being a resource for healthful information you can use for a lifetime.

 

Your medical history and physician’s exam should be completed and returned to the Wellness Center prior to your arrival on campus. The history and physical are requirements, which assist us in managing your health care at Saint Vincent College.  It is important to list allergies and to answer all the questions on the medical history.  It is also necessary to include insurance information at the top of the form.  Insurance Company name, ID and Group numbers are needed to process lab work done through the Wellness Center.  Many insurances/HMO’s require a referral from your primary care physician.  If this is the case, please indicate this on the form or attach a separate sheet of paper.

           

Your immunization record must be up to date.  A second MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine is required for all students entering college. The Meningitis Vaccine is now mandatory for students residing on-campus unless a waiver form is completed.  A Tetanus Booster is recommended for adults every 10 years and the Hepatitis B Vaccine is also recommended.

 

Should you have any questions about your health care prior to your arrival on campus, please do not hesitate to contact the Wellness Center at 724-805-2115.

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PA Law on Meningitis Vaccinations
In accordance with Pennsylvania law signed by Governor Mark Schweiker on June 28, 2002, the Meningitis Vaccine is now mandatory for students residing on-campus.  The law took effect August 27, 2002, and all residential students must be vaccinated or sign a waiver . You may obtain the immunization from your primary care physician, go to your local health department, or contact Passport Health (412-372-4007) in the Jonnet Bldg. in Monroeville.    
 
In accordance with the law, the following information is provided to inform you of the potential dangers of bacterial meningitis, as well as the benefits of vaccination.

• WHAT IS MENINGITIS?
  Meningitis is a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection.  It can occur in two forms--as either meningococcal meningitis, an inflammation that affects the brain and spinal cord, or as meningococcemia, the presence of bacteria in the blood.  Permanent brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability, limb amputation, kidney failure, or death can result from the infection.
  
  Meningitis strikes about 3,000 Americans each year and claims as many as 300 lives.  Between 100-125 cases occur on college campuses every year.  5-15 college students die each year as a result.
  
  
• HOW IS IT SPREAD?
  Meningococcal meningitis is spread through the air via respiratory secretions or close contact with an infected person.  This can include coughing, sneezing, kissing or sharing items such as utensils, cigarettes and drinking glasses. 
  

   

• WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
  Symptoms of meningococcal meningitis often resemble the flu, and can include high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, rash, nausea, vomiting, lethargy and confusion.
  
  
• WHO IS AT RISK?
  College students, particularly freshmen, who live in campus residence halls, anyone in close contact with a known case, anyone with an upper respiratory infection with a compromised immune system, and anyone traveling to endemic areas of the world where meningitis is prevalent.
  
  
• CAN MENINGITIS BE PREVENTED?
  Yes.  A safe, effective vaccine is available.  The vaccine is 85-100% effective in preventing four kinds of bacteria (serogroups A, C, Y, W-135) that cause about 70% of the disease in the U.S.  The vaccination is safe, with mild and infrequent side effects, such as redness and pain at the injection site lasting up to 2 days.  After vaccination, immunity develops within 7-10 days and remains effective for approximately 3-5 years.  As with any vaccine, vaccination against meningitis may not protect 100% of all susceptible individuals.
  

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call the Saint. Vincent College Wellness Center (724) 805-2115.  You can also visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo, and the American College Health Association, www.acha.org

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