Medical and Immunization Requirements

PNWU requires the following information prior to matriculation. Schedule a physical with your health care provider as early as one year prior to beginning classes. Some of these requirements may take as much as six months to complete. The following immunizations are required to be current as of July 1 and maintained annually while enrolled. Incomplete immunizations may delay class attendance.

Required Immunizations/Vaccinations:
Hepatitis B: Documentation of three vaccination series and a quantitative assay > 10.

  • The Hepatitis B Surface Antibody (HBsAB) titer is required and the surface antibody level must be obtained at least four to eight weeks after vaccination series.
  • If HBsAB is negative or equivocal (<10), a repeat series of three Hep B vaccinations should be performed. Upon completion of the repeat vaccination series, then re-titer is obtained four to eight weeks later.
  • If the second HBsAB is negative or equivocal (<10), evaluation by a health care provider to be tested for HBsAg and anti-HBc to determine if there is an underlying infection status.

Tetanus toxoid (Td/Tdap): Documentation of one Tdap immunization and either a Td or Tdap within the last ten years.
MMR: Primary series of two dose vaccine and a quantitative serum titer documentation of immunity is required. 
Varicella: Documentation of two-dose vaccine or quantitative serum titer. 
Influenza: vaccination annually, by November 1. If done prior to October it is recommended to get a booster.
COVID-19: vaccination

Tuberculosis Surveillance: PNWU requires yearly tuberculosis (TB) exposure testing as recommended by the CDC as part of a general infection control program designed to ensure prompt detection and treatment of people who have suspected or confirmed TB disease. People who work or receive care in health care settings are at higher risk for becoming infected with TB.

Latent TB infection means a person was infected with tuberculosis, but does not have active TB disease spreading to others. The only sign of TB infection is a positive reaction to the tuberculin skin test or TB blood test. The person does not feel sick and does not have any symptoms while the TB is latent. Untreated latent TB can progress to infectious active TB.

Requirement: A two-step Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) skin test or Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) serum test (example; QuantiFERON-TB®, T-SPOT®, etc.) is required within six months of matriculation and completed prior to matriculation. PPD skin test or IGRA serum test is required annually thereafter. Failure to complete the annual PPD skin test within the 12-month deadline will require a repeat of the two-step PPD skin test.

  • Students electing the IGRA serum test must continue with IGRA serum test annually.
  • Students with a history of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunization should consult with their health care provider about preferentially utilizing the IGRA serum test instead of the PPD skin test.
  • If PPD skin test results are positive, the student must provide evidence of further evaluation by a health care provider. If a diagnosis of latent or active TB is determined by the provider, then provide written evidence of chest x-ray and written proof of ongoing or completed treatment for active or latent TB on the licensed health care provider’s official letterhead.
    • A Chest x-ray must be repeated every three years
  • If IGRA serum testing is positive, then provide written evidence of a chest x-ray and written proof of ongoing or completed treatment for active or latent TB, on the licensed health care provider’s official letterhead.
    • Chest x-ray must be repeated every three years.

Incoming and current students who spend time in a country with a high prevalence of TB will be required to have a single repeat TB test eight to ten weeks after they return to the U.S.


Recommended Immunizations/Vaccinations:

  • Hepatitis A: Documentation of two vaccination series.
  • DPT: Documentation of primary series of five doses with D-tap or DPT. If vaccine record is unavailable, obtain adult series of three Tdap/Td shots.
  • Meningococcal (MenACWY): Recommended, a single dose at age 11 or 12 years followed by a booster dose administered at age 16. Persons aged 19-21 years who have not received a dose after their 16th birthday can receive a single MenACWY dose as part of a catch-up vaccination.
  • Polio (Type OPV/IPV): Documentation of childhood four dose series unless dose number three was given on or after age four. If vaccine record is unavailable, adult series of three IPV.

Student immunization records are located, maintained, and reviewed on an onboarding system (MyRecordTracker for MAMS and DO class of 2027 and 2026, Exxat for DPT and MSOT, and on eValue for DO Class of 2025 and 2024). Students should be aware that immunization records are required for clinical experiences and clinical rotations and should be prepared to present these records when requested. Students will receive reminders through the onboarding system (MyRecordTracker, eValue, Exxat) or Enrollment Services when immunizations need to be updated.

Note: PNWU requirements meet those of regional hospitals and clinics and the Center for Disease Control health care worker general guidelines, rotation sites may require additional vaccinations or titers.

Policy link: Student Immunization policy


Immunization Exemption
Students may request a vaccination exception for medical or religious reasons by submitting the vaccination exception request form. The request will be reviewed by the PNWU immunization nurse and the student will be notified of the decision and any follow up actions required.

TITERS AND BLOOD TESTS
If you are having trouble navigating titers and getting a doctor’s appointment for an order, you may try using a service called LabReqs (https://www.schooltiters.com/). It is a service that has doctors write orders for lab tests. You would submit a request online and within about 60 minutes the order should be emailed to you. The order stands for about a month.

You would then need to go to the nearest LabCorp (there is a coordination between LabReqs and LabCorp site listed on the the site) to get your lab drawn. Some sites may provide walk-in appointments.  The results will then be emailed less than 24 hours later.  

Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Following International Travel
Students should be aware that international travel may impeded return to clinical experiences by some health care organizations (e.g., exposure risks). Questions regarding immunizations may be sent to immunizations@pnwu.edu, all other international travel concerns should be directed to studentaffairs@pnwu.edu.

TB is a serious communicable disease prevalent in many countries of the world. TB is spread primarily by microscopic airborne respiratory droplets. A single cough by a person who has active infectious TB can produce 3000 of these droplet nuclei. These droplet nuclei can remain suspended in the air for several hours because their waxy coating prevents rapid dehydration of the droplet, inhalation of these droplet nuclei causes the spread of TB.

The following CDC links apply to foreign travel:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2016/infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/tuberculosis

Page revision date: June 21, 2023