The Board of Regents (BOR) of the University System of Georgia has established immunization requirements for all new students (first-year, transfers, and others) as directed by policy consistent with recommendations provided by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, developed collaboratively by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the Division of Public Health of the Georgia Department of Human Resources.

Health Services administers this policy and will gladly help students with appropriate forms and information. The BOR Immunization Policy is subject to change, and revisions to the Georgia Southern University Certificate of Immunization form will be posted in a timely manner.

During an epidemic or a threatened epidemic of any disease preventable by immunization on a campus of the University System, and when an emergency has been declared by appropriate health authorities of this state, the president of that institution is authorized, in conjunction with the Chancellor and appropriate health authorities, to promulgate rules and regulations specifying those diseases against which immunizations may be required.

Any individual who cannot show proof of immunity or adequate immunization and refuses to be immunized shall be excluded from any institution or facility of the University System until such time as he/she presents valid evidence that he/she is immunized against the disease or the epidemic threat no longer constitutes a significant public health danger (BR Minutes 1989-90, p.406).

Immunization forms should be submitted to Health Services prior to SOAR (orientation and registration), preferably at least four weeks before your orientation date. This will allow adequate time for our staff to contact you regarding any potential compliance issues, and will allow time for you to provide us with updated information well in advance of orientation and registration. Students who may not have completed required multi-dose vaccine series should still submit their immunization forms to Health Services before orientation and registration. Health Services will provide special assistance to those students to help them with completion of their vaccine series.

For additional information, please visit the BOR Web site.

A brief summary of current immunization requirements is available on the Board of Regents web site for your information.

Click here to see the Immunization Requirements and Recommendations for University System of Georgia Students.

Click here to download the required Certificate of Immunization.

Institutions may exempt from providing proof of immunization students who have religious objections to immunization and students whose physicians have certified that they cannot be immunized because of medical reasons.

These students must provide signed documentation supporting their request to be exempt from immunization.

In the event of a disease outbreak, these students may be excluded from any institution or facility of the University System until such time as they present valid evidence that they are immunized against the disease or have had the disease and recovered, or the epidemic or threat no longer constitutes a significant public health danger.

In addition to the other required immunizations, International Students attending Georgia Southern University are required to be screened for tuberculosis (TB). Health Services will provide the initial screening free of charge to these students.

For more information, please read the International Students Requirements Letter from the Chief of Medical Staff at Georgia Southern's Health Services.

International Students should contact Health Services or the Center for International Studies Phone: (912) 478-0332 or Web site: http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/international/

You will find the necessary forms here.

Students who have not completed required multi-dose vaccine series at the time of matriculation may be allowed to register and to complete the vaccine series according to the recommended schedule provided a schedule has been established to complete the series and the institution is able to track completion of the vaccine series.

Immunization forms must be signed by a licensed physician or by a qualified employee of a local Board of Health or Health Department.

In addition to the required vaccinations, Health Services recommends that all students be immunized against Meningitis, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, Varicella (Chicken Pox), Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td), and Polio, and be tested for Tuberculosis (TB). Contact Health Services about the availability of these vaccinations and TB testing.

For more information about Meningitis, go to: http://www.acha.org/projects_programs/meningitis/disease_info.cfm#overview, a site provided by the American College Health Association.

For more information about Tuberculosis, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/tb/pubs/tbfactsheets/tb.htm, a site provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.