Student Health and Wellness Center

Deadlines for Submission of Vaccine Records

  • Fall Semester: July 1st 
  • Spring Semester: December 1st
  • Summer Semester: April 1st

Student Health Form
Immunizations Form

Students need to complete the information under the “Pending Forms” link in their student wellness portal. The forms above must be printed and completed by a healthcare provider. Once completed the forms should be submitted via the portal.

Vaccines and Exemptions

All 50 states have legislation requiring specific vaccines for students. Although exemptions vary from state to state, all school immunization laws grant exemptions to children for medical reasons – those who cannot receive vaccines because of contraindications. 

North Carolina State Law (General Statutes §130A 152–157) requires that all students entering college present a certificate of immunization to document that the student has received all immunizations required by law. While your state or country of origin may have different immunization requirements, you must comply with North Carolina laws and Meredith requirements. Under North Carolina law, if the state immunization requirements are not met within the 30 calendar days after the first day of class grace period, students will be removed from campus and unable to attend in-person classes.

North Carolina is one of 45 states and Washington D.C. that grant religious exemptions for people who have religious objections to immunizations. North Carolina does not allow for philosophical exemptions – those who object to immunizations because of personal, moral, or other beliefs (10A NCAC 41A .0403).

During an outbreak or cluster of a vaccine-preventable disease, students with medical or religious exemptions may be asked not to return to campus until the outbreak ends.

Medical Exemption

Under G.S.130A-156, a physician licensed to practice medicine in this State must certify that a required immunization is or may be detrimental to a person’s health due to the presence of one of the contraindications adopted by the Commission of Public Health. The North Carolina Medical Exemptions Statement (DHHS Form #3987) must be used to obtain a medical exemption for any state required immunization. All exemption documentation should be uploaded under the “Document Upload” portion of the Student Wellness Portal.

Religious Exemption

Under G.S.130A-157, if the bona fide religious beliefs of the student are contrary to the immunization requirements, then the student can be exempt from the state’s immunization requirements. In order to claim a religious exemption, the student requesting the exemption must write a statement of their religious objection to immunization, including the name and date of birth. This statement should be provided to the school in place of an immunization record. Students requesting this type of exemption should use the Meredith College Religious Exemption Form. All exemption documentation should be uploaded under the “Document Upload” portion of the Student Wellness Portal.

Philosophical Exemption

North Carolina does not allow for philosophical exemptions – those who object to immunizations because of personal, moral or other non-religious beliefs (10A NCAC 41A .0403).

State Required Vaccines

The state statute requiring proof of vaccination applies to all students except students residing off-campus and registering for any combination of

  • Off-campus courses
  • Evening courses (classes beginning after 5 p.m.)
  • Weekend courses
  • No more than four day credit hours in on-campus courses

If at any time the above student status changes to on-campus courses, course load of more than four (4) credit hours, on-campus residence, and/or enrollment in day-time courses, a Certificate of Immunization or record of immunization must be presented on or before the date the person first registers for a quarter or semester. 

VaccineNumber Doses Required
Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis3 doses (at least one TDAP in the last 10 years)
Polio3 doses
Measles2 doses
Mumps2 doses
Rubella1 dose
Hepatitis B (if born after 7/1/1994)3 doses
Varicella (if born after 7/1/2001)2 doses
Meningococcal ACWY* (if born after 1/1/2003)1 dose

* Effective as of the 2021-22 academic year

Recommended Vaccines

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The College strongly recommends that students stay up-to-date with their COVID vaccine series. For the latest updates regarding with it means to be up-to-date with this vaccine, please visit the CDC’s webpage entitled Staying Up to Date with the COVID-10 Vaccines

**Please note that no human fetal-derived cell lines or tissue, including HEK293 cells, are used in the development, manufacturing, or production of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine.**

Influenza 
The influenza (“flu”) vaccine is strongly recommended for all residential students and commuter students living in a group setting. The College hosts an annual fall vaccine clinic on campus.

Meningitis B (Bexsero or Trumenba)
Adolescents and young adults ages 16 to 23 may receive this vaccine. Individuals who are at an increased risk of contracting serogroup B meningococcal disease should receive this vaccine. This includes people who have:

  • Been near an outbreak location of serogroup B meningococcal disease
  • Persistent complement component deficiencies
  • Undergone treatment with eculizuma
  • Anatomic or functional asplenia including sickle cell disease
  • Been routinely exposed to isolates of N. meningitis during laboratory work

MenB vaccine can be administered at the same time as MenACWY vaccine.

HPV (Gardasil 4 or Gardasil 9)
HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. and is the leading cause of cervical cancer.  Currently the vaccine is recommended for all individuals 9-26 years of age. Adults between the ages of 27-45 years of age not adequately vaccinated may want to discuss vaccination with their provider.

The vaccine helps prevent cervical, vulvar, vaginal cancers and pre-cancers in females, as well as anal cancers and pre-cancers and genital warts in both females and males.