College and university school-required immunization guidance and resources

Colorado Board of Health rule 6 CCR 1009-2 requires students attending Colorado colleges or universities that have residence hall facilities within their systems to provide evidence of immunity from measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), or have an exemption on file at their school.

These requirements apply to college or university students who are enrolled in one or more classes and are physically present at the institution for participation in classes, athletics, or other activities.

In addition, new college or university students residing in student housing are required to review information concerning meningococcal disease and meningococcal vaccine. Students are required to provide their school with documentation that: 1) they are current with the MenACWY vaccine or 2) have a signed meningococcal vaccine waiver.

Vaccines are:

• Powerful tools of prevention that help students stay healthy and avoid disruptions from illness.
• Proven to be the best defense against many serious illnesses.
• Widely available for no or low cost in Colorado and across the U.S.
  • If you reside outside of Colorado, contact your health care provider or local public health agency for information on accessing vaccines in your area.  

Students should be aware that if they have a vaccine exemption (for MMR) or waiver (for MenACWY) on file, they may be kept out of school during a disease outbreak. The length of time will vary depending on the type of disease and the circumstances of the outbreak.

For example, if someone at your school becomes sick with measles and you do not have evidence of immunity to measles, you may need to stay home from your program for at least 21 days.

Before a student’s first day of college or university, the student or their parent/guardian must provide each school the student attends with the following documentation as evidence of MMR immunity:

1. An immunization record documenting two valid doses of MMR vaccine.
   1. The first dose must have been given no earlier than four days before the first birthday. Dose 2 must be at least 28 days after Dose 1, or
2. Laboratory confirmation of  of positive titers for all three components (measles, mumps, and rubella)
   1. If any single titer is negative, the student must be vaccinated with an age-appropriate MMR vaccine series (see 1. above) or provide the school with a certificate of exemption for the component(s) for which the titer is negative, or
3. A certificate of exemption for MMR vaccine, following Colorado’s process, as outlined on CDPHE’s exemptions to school-required vaccines webpage.

Students born before Jan. 1, 1957, are considered immune to measles, mumps, and rubella viruses and do not need to provide evidence of immunity.

• Health care personnel born before 1957 without laboratory evidence of immunity or disease should consider getting two doses of MMR vaccine.

Students who have one dose of MMR vaccine may start school so long as they have an in-process plan signed by their health care provider, showing that the student is in the process of catching up on missing doses of MMR vaccines following the minimum interval of 28 days between doses.

Before moving into student housing, new college or university students or their parent/guardian, if under 18, are required to review information concerning meningococcal disease (meningitis) and meningococcal vaccine.

There are two ways to meet the meningococcal requirement:

1. Documentation of a meningococcal ACWY vaccine within the last five years, or
2. Signing the Meningococcal Disease Information and Vaccine Waiver found on Page 2 of the Official Colorado Certificate of Immunization for College or University, or your school’s meningococcal disease information and vaccine waiver form.

Immunization documentation

Need tips on locating your immunization record? Visit the finding a student’s immunization vaccine record for school webpage.

Immunization rates for Colorado colleges/universities, schools, and child cares  

Colorado Board of Health rule 6 CCR 1009-2 requires most colleges/universities, schools (K-12), and licensed child cares to report aggregate immunization and exemption data to CDPHE annually.

Per SB 20-163, each school shall make the immunization and exemption rates of their enrolled student population publicly available upon request.

Individuals can access Colorado immunization data through the college/university, school, and child care immunization dashboard.

Immunization resources and quick links:

• CDPHE’s immunization homepage
  • CDPHE’s immunization requirements for school entry homepage
  • CDPHE’s get vaccinated webpage to refer to vaccine providers in Colorado
  • The Colorado Immunization Information System’s (CIIS) homepage

College and university immunization data reporting: 

By Jan. 15 of each year, colleges and universities with residence hall facilities within their systems are required to report aggregate immunization and exemption data to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Colleges and universities report annual data to CDPHE using Formsite. The link will be sent directly to your facility’s point of contact for immunization compliance by Oct. 1.

Use this optional college and university worksheet to assist in preparing your college or university’s immunization data.

Adults need vaccines too!

• In preparation for a case of measles or other vaccine-preventable disease at school, staff should be informed of the importance of being up to date and having their vaccine records readily available.
• Educate and strongly encourage staff to locate their vaccine records and to get vaccinated if they are not protected.
• Share the vaccination for adults table (PDF), which outlines vaccine recommendations.

Using the Colorado Immunization Information System:

Access the Colorado Immunization Information System’s (CIIS) webpage for:

• User registration process
• CIIS training
• CIIS policies and procedures

Contacts:

• For clinical consultation, immunization compliance, or policy-related questions, contact the School and Child Care Nurse Consultant — cdphe_vacs@state.co.us.  
• To gain access to CIIS or for technical, CIIS-related questions, contact the CIIS School Coordinator — cdphe_ciis_schools@state.co.us.  
• For general vaccination record questions or requests, contact the CIIS Help Desk — cdphe.ciis@state.co.us.