Immunization Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Please review the Immunization Requirements listed on the homepage. In addition, this information is listed within the General Immunization Guide . For Medical and GEMS Students, please review the General Immunization Guide for Medical and GEMS Students .

If you are unable to meet the immunization deadline, please log into the Immunization Portal to request an extension (ahead of the deadline) via the secure messaging feature within the portal. Extension requests are not guaranteed. The request must specify the pending immunization requirement(s) and include anticipated dates of upcoming immunization(s) or testing.

All required immunizations and/or testing can be completed at the Student Health Center (located on both Hilltop and Capitol Campuses). To make an appointment, please call (202) 687-2200 or visit the Student Health Center’s website.

Please note: all services offered at SHC will be billed to your health insurance. If you have the Georgetown University Student Health Insurance (the UnitedHealthcare student insurance), please be mindful of your insurance start date. Please review the Student Health Insurance coverage.

Alternatively, you can complete your requirements with a healthcare provider of your choice.

The MedStar Health Registration Form is an optional form that is used to register you as a patient for future visits at the Student Health Center. If you do not have your U.S. address, telephone or other information, please wait until that is finalized and submit the completed form to the Immunization Portal.

The immunization compliance verification is a two-step process.

You must complete the electronic immunization forms AND upload supporting documents. If documentation is not uploaded alongside the electronic immunization forms, you will be considered noncompliant and a hold may be placed on your student account.

All students, regardless of age, are screened for tuberculosis risk and exposure by completing the Electronic Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Questionnaire in the “My Forms” tab in the Immunization Portal.

If you turn 26 prior to the school start dates (September 1 for Fall and January 1 for Spring), only the electronic TB screening form will be required. Please submit a secure message within the immunization portal requesting an extension.

Please log in to the Immunization Portal to view your requirements.

If you are a student continuing your education at Georgetown but in a different program* within the last 7 years, you may need to complete additional requirements to meet compliance. Please send us a secure message in the Immunization Portal if you encounter any issues.

*Note: Medical or GEMS Students have new requirements and will not be compliant until those are met.

If you are not able to complete your immunization requirements in your home country, please plan to start or continue your immunizations at the Student Health Center. 

If you have an appointment scheduled, please send a secure message through the Immunization Portal to request an extension. If you need to schedule an appointment but you’re waiting for the Student Health Insurance to become active, please include that information in your message within the portal. 

In order to meet the requirements of the District of Columbia and university, you must submit proof of vaccination for Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis Varicella, Meningococcal ACWY, and complete a TB Screening. Please visit the Immunization Requirements webpage for specific doses needed to meet the requirements.

Regardless of your vaccine schedule, please have your healthcare provider (RN, PA, NP, MD/DO) complete and sign your medical records or the Georgetown University Immunization History Form with current vaccinations. Upload the completed physical form to the Immunization Portal and complete the corresponding electronic Immunization History Form in the Immunization Portal. You will receive a secure message in the Immunization Portal if additional immunizations are required.

If your most recent tetanus dose has not been given in the last 10 years, you will need a booster dose of a Td or Tdap vaccine.

If you are living on-campus and under the age of 26, if you last received this vaccine before your 16th birthday or have never received it, you must submit proof of vaccination for a dose given after the age of 16 or upload a signed copy of the Meningitis Waiver and Fact Sheet

Most Hepatitis B vaccine series are 3 shots per U.S. guidelines. The adult two-shot series (Heplisav-B) manufactured by Dynavax was approved by the FDA in the US in November 2017. If you had Hepatitis B vaccinations before this time frame, it is unlikely that you received Heplisav-B and instead received a 3 dose series, such as Engerix, Recombivax, or Twinrix. 

If you did not receive the complete series, or if your vaccines were administered out of schedule, you will need to receive a booster dose or complete lab testing to show proof of immunity. If your test results show low or no immunity, you may need additional vaccinations. 

If your first MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) and/or Varicella vaccine was administered before your first birthday, the dose does not count towards your immunization requirement. Please visit the Immunization Requirements webpage for specific doses needed to meet the requirements.

You may need to complete one of the following: a booster MMR and/or Varicella dose OR MMR and/or Varicella lab test to show proof of immunity to the disease(s).

In order to meet the immunization requirements, we accept the following types of documents:

• Georgetown University Immunization History Form
• Physical or Electronic Medical Records (EMR) (For example: MyChart, MedStar Patient Portal, EClinicalWorks)
• Pharmacy medical records (For example: CVS, Walgreens)
• International Certificate of Vaccination (For example: Yellow card)
• State Immunization Registry
• AAMC Form (for medical and GEMS students only)

ALL uploaded records must include your legal first and last name, date of birth, date(s) of immunizations, sufficient English translation (if necessary), and a signature/stamp/seal of a healthcare provider (RN, PA, NP, MD/DO) or medical entity.

Note: Medical and GEMS students must use the AAMC Form without exception. 

Please reach out to the Office of the University Registrar to include your legal and chosen names on your student account. To reach the Office of the Student Registrar:

• Email: UnivRegistrar@georgetown.edu
• Phone: (202) 687-4020

or Office of the (Law) Registrar (if a law student)

• Email: Lawreg@georgetown.edu
• Phone: (202) 662-9220

Yes, in order to meet the immunization requirements all documents must be submitted with sufficient and official English translation. You can complete this by submitting the following:

• A signed copy of the Georgetown University Immunization History Form
• Health records translated by an embassy with signatures and seal/stamp 
• Health records translated by an official private translation service with signatures and seal/stamp 

Note: We do not currently accept documents with unofficial translation. 

Yes, you can submit an immunization record from a previous university, but only if those records have been verified and signed by a healthcare provider or medical entity. 

In order to meet the TB screening requirements with a positive TB test, we recommend that you:

• Schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider (RN, PA, NP, MD/DO) to review your results;
• Complete a chest X-ray as ordered by your healthcare provider;
  • Based on the outcome of the x-ray, discuss applicable treatment options.
• Have your healthcare provider doctor complete and sign the TB Testing Form
• Complete the Electronic Tuberculosis Testing Form in the Immunization Portal 
• Upload your testing results, x-ray with medical interpretation and other supporting documents (treatment plan, if applicable) to the Immunization Portal 

Please visit the Guides and Forms Box folder to find the TB Testing Form, Immunization Guides, and other relevant forms.

Both PPD (Mantoux) skin tests and IGRA (QFT-G and T-Spot) blood tests are accepted. 

• If you have received the BCG vaccine, please complete the IGRA blood test, as this vaccine can sometimes cause the PPD skin test to return false positive results.

The PPD skin test takes at least 2 days (and 2 clinic visits) to complete, as it must be reviewed 48-72 hours after administration by a healthcare provider. The IGRA blood test only requires 1 clinic visit, and results usually come back in 3-5 days. If you have any additional questions, please consult your healthcare provider or schedule an appointment at the Student Health Center.

If you have had a risk of exposure to Tuberculosis during your lifetime, you may need to complete TB testing because Tuberculosis infection can be latent or asymptomatic – meaning you would not necessarily know you had it.

Due to how fast TB can spread from person to person and its severe health consequences, Georgetown University is committed to ensuring that all students are screened for Tuberculosis and have completed testing if necessary. 

We can only accept TB testing that was completed no more than 6 months prior to the start of your academic program, even if you have not had additional exposure to Tuberculosis since you were last tested.

• For example, if your program starts in September, you need to submit testing results completed between March through September of that year.  

Due to how fast TB can spread from person to person and its severe health consequences, Georgetown University is committed to ensuring that all students are screened for Tuberculosis and have completed testing if necessary.

All requests for religious exemptions should be submitted through the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action (IDEAA) using the Student Vaccination Exemption Request Form.

Please note: If you submit a religious exemption request form, it does not guarantee that your request will be approved. 

Please send a secure message within the Immunization Portal to inform the GU-Immunization Team that you have submitted a religious exemption request. Until the request is officially approved, you are still responsible for completing all outstanding immunization requirements.   

All requests for medical exemptions should be submitted through the Immunization Portal. In order to submit a medical exemption request, you must upload a signed letter written in English with a signature/stamp/seal of a medical physician (NP, PA, RN or international equivalents are not currently accepted). The letter must outline the following:

• The current vaccine(s) that you have received,
• The exact vaccine(s) that you can not receive,
• The specific medical reason why you can not receive each vaccine (listed separately),
• The consequences that would occur if you were to receive this vaccine (specific for each vaccine)

The signed letter and supporting documentation should be uploaded in the Immunization Portal using the “Document Upload” feature with the Document Type label “Medical Exemption”. 

Please send a secure message within the Immunization Portal to inform the GU-Immunization Team that you have submitted a medical religious exemption request so that it can be reflected on your student account. 

Please note: Please allow 2-3 weeks for your documentation to be reviewed. 

Medical and GEMS Students should review the General Immunization Guide for Medical and GEMS Students .

Per the AAMC form, a quantitative Hepatitis B Surface Antibody titer of > 10 IU/mL is required to show proof of immunity. 

A qualitative serology result (such as “positive”, “immune” or “reactive”) will not be accepted.

If your test results show low or no immunity, you will need to complete additional vaccinations and a repeat titer. 

If you have documentation of a prior Hepatitis B series and your Hepatitis B serology is low, you will need another Hepatitis B vaccine followed by a repeat blood test for Hepatitis B Surface Antibody serology (a quantitative test to be taken 4-8 weeks following the booster). 

If you do not have documentation of a prior series, you will need to complete a full series (2 or 3 dose series). We recommend the Heplisav-B vaccine if you require additional doses beyond your primary series. If you are unable to complete these steps prior to your deadline, please send a secure message in the Immunization Portal requesting an extension including the dates of your scheduled appointment.

All test results must be uploaded to the Immunization Portal in addition to the signed AAMC Form.

For students with no prior TB testing or students with previous negative TB testing, an IGRA blood test (either a Quantiferon-Gold or T-Spot) OR a 2-step Tuberculin Skin Test (also referred to as “TST” or “PPD”) is required. For 2-step skin testing, the second test should be placed 1-3 weeks after the 1st.

We can only accept TB testing that was completed no more than 6 months prior to the start of your academic program, even if you have not had additional exposure to Tuberculosis since you were last tested.

If you have a history of a positive test for TB (either blood work or skin test), please do not repeat your testing. You will need to upload documentation of your previous testing, upload a chest X-ray report (dated after your positive test), and upload documentation of any treatment (if received). Please have a healthcare provider (RN, PA, NP, or MD/DO) complete and sign the TB Testing Form

All test results must be uploaded to the Immunization Portal in addition to the signed AAMC Form. 

Your influenza vaccine documentation is due December 1st annually. The vaccine needs to be administered between July 10th through December 1st of the current year.

Please upload proof of vaccination to the Immunization Portal and select “Annual Influenza Vaccine” as the document type.

Please review the General Immunization Guide before starting your immunization process.

Yes. You can complete your requirements with a licensed provider or you can make an appointment at the MedStar Georgetown University Student Health Center (SHC) by calling (202) 687-2200 or by going online. Please note: all services offered at SHC will be billed to your health insurance. If you have the Georgetown University Student Health Insurance (the UnitedHealthcare student insurance), please be mindful of your insurance start date. You can find more information regarding the Student Health Insurance coverage on the SHI website.

Yes. Please  make an appointment at the MedStar Georgetown University Student Health Center (SHC) by calling (202) 687-2200 or by going online. We do not charge your insurance for the urine drug screen. Instead, it is offered at a fixed affordable cost at the time of your appointment. The special pricing is only for nursing and medical students.

Please refer to the Student Health Insurance webpage about the Premier plan, under the tab called Summary of Benefits and Coverage.

Please refer to the SHI webpage on activating your coverage.

Please refer to the SHI webpage on waiving your coverage.

Please refer to the Premier Plan At-A-Glance booklet, located on the SHI webpage about the Premier Plan.

Please refer to the SHI webpage on ID Cards & Coverage Letters..