What is the law?

A few years ago, research by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that students residing on campus in residence halls appear to be at higher risk for meningococcal disease than college students overall. The College and University Student Vaccination Act has been in effect in the state of Pennsylvania  since August 2002. It states that all students residing in any on campus housing receive a one-time vaccination against meningococcal disease or sign a waiver for religious or other reasons after they have been provided with information on the risks associated with the disease and the effectiveness of the vaccine.

A meningitis fact sheet and waiver form are included in the Chatham University Welcome booklet.  Please review before making any decisions. The Office of Health Services is required to track this information on all students. Deadline for submission of your date of vaccination or waiver form is August 1 to avoid a medical hold on your student account.

Chatham University does not provide the vaccine, and if you are not residing in any on campus housing, the law does not affect you. For more information on meningitis disease and the vaccine you can contact: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo or jkurtz@chatham.edu