Immunizations

Required and Recommended Immunizations

The following recommendations apply to undergraduate, law, business, and graduate students who are not in health care fields. Nursing and medical students have slightly different requirements.

Required:

Measles, mumps, rubella: Outbreaks still occur on university campuses, so proper immunization is required both by the University and the State of Tennessee. Two shots are required. One is given after the first birthday, and the second is given sometime thereafter, but must be given after 1980.
Tetanus: A booster is required every ten years (see Pertussis under additional vaccines).
Polio: Documentation of your childhood series is adequate.
TB Skin Test: Required for students who are at risk for TB exposure and/or infection, e.g., from countries where TB is prevalent, healthcare workers.
Hepatitis B is a series of three shots given over 6 months. Receipt of the Hepatitis B vaccine or a signed waiver form is required for all students entering college in Tennessee.
Meningococcal vaccine is one shot. Receipt of the Meningococcal vaccine or a signed waiver form is required for all entering college students who will be living in on-campus housing in Tessessee.

Additional Vaccines:

Influenza vaccine is given annually in the fall. It is available through the Student Health Center and is recommended for all students.
Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine is recommended for students who have not had chicken pox.
Hepatitis A is a series of two shots given over 6 to 12 months. It is recommended for all students, especially for students who plan to travel internationally.
Pertussis: current recommendations for adolescents and young adults include additional vaccination for pertussis. This can be given as a combination of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis as soon as two years after the last tetanus booster.

Click here to download this Letter in .pdf format.

Click here to download the Meningitis and Hepatitis B Vaccine Waiver Form.

Student Health Center | Vanderbilt University
Zerfoss Building, MCN | 1161 21st Ave. S. | Nashville, TN 37232
615.322.2427 | (fax) 615.343.0047