WSU SpokaneImmunization Requirements

WSU Health Sciences Immunization Requirements

Purpose

Washington State University (WSU) Human Health Sciences programs with clinical experiences (Colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Doctor of Pharmacy, in addition to the Athletic Training program in the College of Education, referred to as “programs” throughout the document) require health science students (referred to as “student(s)” throughout the document) to obtain direct patient care experiences as part of their academic requirements. This is a fundamental educational requirement to ensure students can provide high-quality and safe patient care and are qualified to become professionally licensed. It is also an accreditation or legal requirement for health sciences educational programs. Most of these clinical experiences occur outside of WSU and within other organizations. Training sites may include but are not limited to, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, community pharmacies, ambulatory care practices, local school districts, other community agencies, and other health care settings. Many patients receiving care within these settings are the most vulnerable in our society, such as patients with chronic medical conditions and co-morbidities, including being immunosuppressed, the elderly, and patients with other social determinants of health.

Students involved in direct patient care are often at risk for exposure to and possible transmission of vaccine-preventable communicable diseases because of their contact with patients and/or infective material from patients and require additional protection. Training sites, with whom WSU partners, are responsible for ensuring the health and safety of their patients and require workforce members, including students, to undertake certain actions to protect their patients. Many of these safeguards are required by law and accreditation standards, and include, among other things, background checks, drug and health screenings, and/or immunizations.1 These activities facilitate the safe participation of clinical experiences for students and reduce the risk of causing unnecessary harm to vulnerable patients. Through contractual arrangements, training sites require WSU to only place students within their training site that meet these health and safety requirements. WSU also has independent legal, ethical and risk management reasons for ensuring students meet certain reasonable health and safety standards and training site placement criteria. Being a good partner in training the next generation of the health care workforce is not only reasonable but necessary to ensure continuous clinical experiential learning opportunities for students.

Training sites require vaccinations and/or proof of immunity. Development and implementation of a consistent health screening and immunization requirement for WSU Human Health Sciences programs is reasonable and necessary to meet legal, accreditation, ethical and contractual requirements.

The unique nature of clinical experiences for students enrolled in health sciences programs compels WSU Human Health Sciences to adopt independent immunization requirements, which may differ from and be stricter than WSU immunization requirements of other students, staff, faculty, administration, and/ or campuses.. This is an academic requirement for placement in required clinical experiences and a health and safety measure to protect patients and students. WSU Human Health Sciences will require—as a condition of admission—certain immunizations and health screenings. The only exemption to the required vaccinations is students that have a legitimate medical condition that make vaccination medically contraindicated.

Contact

Becki Meehan
Director of Campus Admissions & Pathway Programs
rebecca.meehan@wsu.edu
509-368-6956

Jane Summers
Director, Access & Wellness
jane.summers@wsu.edu
509-358-7978

Kim Mickey
Campus Registrar
k.mickey@wsu.edu
509-358-7530

Additional Resources

Policy

In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health departments recommendations for immunizations for health care workers including students, and to comply with training site vaccination and health screening requirements, WSU Human Health Sciences require the following vaccinations and immunizations:

  • Hepatitis B
    • Proof of immunity by titer.  Some programs may require proof of vaccination..
  • Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
    • Proof of immunity by titer may be accepted in lieu of proof of vaccination.
  • TDAP (Tetanus, Diphteria, Pertusis)
  • Varicella
    • Proof of immunity by titer may be accepted in lieu of proof of vaccination.
  • Influenza (annually)

Each WSU Human Health Sciences program may adopt additional immunization requirements as is reasonable and necessary to meet legal, accreditation, ethical, and contractual requirements. Further, WSU Human Health Sciences and/or individual programs reserve the right to modify immunization requirements in the event of a public health emergency, updated recommendations by the CDC for vaccination and/or health screenings, and/or training site placement requirements.

Procedure

Each WSU Human Health Sciences program that admits a student with a clinical experience as an academic requirement does so on the condition that they are fully vaccinated and have completed all required health screenings. Each student is responsible for submitting appropriate medical documentation evidencing vaccination and completing their health screening prior to engagement in any clinical experience. All such documentation must be submitted in accordance with each applicable Human Health Sciences program requirements including information systems that maintain immunization and health screening information (e.g., CastleBranch).  WSU Human Health Sciences and its programs do not consider vaccination status, except through the process of medical exemption and accommodation, when matching students to clinical sites;  clinical site placement requirements vary and may include vaccinations not required by WSU Human Health Sciences and/ or its programs. Failure to comply with clinical site vaccination and health screening requirements may result in an inability to progress in the curriculum.  Progression within a degree program is managed at the programmatic level.

Students applying for a medical exemption must complete this prior to the start of the academic year in which they have been conditionally admitted. To request a medical exemption requires submission of appropriate documentation from a qualified and licensed health care provider establishing a vaccination is contraindicated due to an underlying medical condition. Students should submit exemption materials to Cougar Health. If the submitted documentation supports a medical exemption, each program will admit the student and allow progression so long as they can reasonably accommodate the student. To the extent such action will cause a direct threat or undue hardship, the program shall deny the student admission.

Students receiving an approved accommodation are not guaranteed clinical placement, which is a requirement for degree completion. Accommodated individuals must comply with the clinical site terms and conditions which may include use of Personal Protective Equipment, donning appropriate masks, and periodic testing/screening. Failure to follow approved terms and conditions may subject the student to appropriate corrective action up to and including termination or revocation of the accommodation or removal from the practice site. A terminated or revoked accommodation may result in the student being referred to the applicable programmatic progress committee for a professionalism violation and/or other reasonable corrective action.

Non-Compliance

Students who do not comply with WSU Health Sciences or programmatic level immunization or health screening requirements shall not be admitted into or will be administratively withdrawn or decertified from the applicable education program. If there is an ongoing immunization (e.g., influenza) or health screening requirement, students who are non-compliant will not be able to matriculate in their program or will immediately be removed from a clinical rotation.

Submission of Information; Falsification of Records

Students submitting immunization and health screening information, or requesting a medical exemption are required to follow WSU Health Sciences policies and procedures for submitting this information. Failure to comply with these timelines and processes may result in delay or denial of admission to the applicable program. WSU reserves the right to request additional or supporting documentation and information from a student. False, misleading, or inaccurate information submitted pursuant to this policy may result in, among other things, a referral to Center for Community Standards for appropriate investigation and/or discipline. Similarly, submission of false or inaccurate information may be a violation of the law and may result in a referral to appropriate law enforcement agencies or professional licensing boards.

References

  1. See e.g., Washington Hospital Licensing Regulations, WAC 246-320-156(6) (requiring “Complete tuberculosis screening for new and current employees consistent with the Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Healthcare Facilities, 2005. Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Vol. 54, December 30, 2005”); WAC 296-823-13005 (requiring making hepatitis B vaccination series available to all employees who have occupational exposure unless certain conditions met such as previous vaccination series, immune through antibody testing or medically contraindicated).
  2. See Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccination Recommendations for Healthcare Workers.