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University Requirements

TUBERCULOSIS SCREENING
American University  requires all new students to be screened for Tuberculosis regardless of age. The online Tuberculosis form is available on the Student Health Portal. If you answer Yes to any of the screening questions, you will receive a message on the student health portal with additional instructions.

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS
The District of Columbia Immunization Law requires that all students under age 26, no matter how many credit hours they are enrolled in, must proof of their immunizations on the AU Mandatory Immunization Form.

Deadline for incoming students to submit immunization records for fall is July 15, for spring January 1.

If under age 26, submit the following:

1. Two vaccinations against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (Mmr), given after 1 year of age and at least 30 days apart.

2. One Diphtheria/Tetanus booster given within the past 10 years.

3. Two doses of Varicella (Chicken Pox) given after 1 year of age and at least 30 days apart or titer results indicating immunity, or physician documentation of having had the disease (must include month and year of illness).

4. A series of 3 Hepatitis B immunizations administered over a 6-month period. The second dose should have been administered a minimum of 4 weeks after dose 1, and the third dose should have been administered a minimum of 6 months after dose 1 and 5 months after dose 2. Students who received the Hepatitis B vaccination under a different administration schedule should provide titer results proving immunity.

5. Meningococcal vaccine is recommended for students living in campus housing and a booster should be given after their 16th birthday if they received the vaccine before they were 16, or a signed Waiver Request Form must be provided.

Students under age 18:

6. Students under the age of 18 must also show proof of being vaccinated against Polio.

If you did not have the varicella (chicken pox) vaccination, but had the disease, you will need to provide physician documentation of disease (including month and year of disease). Otherwise, you will need to obtain blood titer results for varicella (chicken pox).

As long as you are in the process of completing the immunization requirements you will be able to register for classes. However, a stop (which prevents you from registering for classes) will be put on your account if you do not complete the immunization series.

If you do not have access to your prior immunization records, you will need to have a blood test called a blood titer. A blood titer will show if you have either had the disease in the past, or have immunity based on prior vaccination. Tetanus, however, is an immunization which does not have an available titer. If you have not had a Tetanus vaccine within the last 10 years, you will need to update it.

All of the required immunizations can be administered at the Student Health Center. Please refer to our fee schedule for the costs of each immunization.

The Student Health Center recommends that all students be up to date on their Covid-19 vaccinations, Meningitis B vaccinations and that all students receive the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination.

You may be granted an exemption from the mandatory immunization requirement due to medical reasons or your religious beliefs. Here's how to request an exemption:

  • Religious exemption. Follow the university’s procedures for requesting religious exemptions for immunizations. 
  • Medical exemption. A medical exemption may be allowed if a student’s physician provides a detailed letter indicating that immunizations are medically inadvisable. This letter will be reviewed by the university’s Medical Director, who will determine if the medical condition meets criteria for exemption in accordance with the most up-to-date CDC and ACIP recommendations. Please submit the request with the physician's letter to shc@american.edu.

You may submit your records via one of the following:

If you do not have a copy of your immunization record please have your physician complete the Immunization Form. This form must be signed and stamped by your physician.