Westchester Community College, State University of New York

Exemptions to the Measles, Mumps, & Rubella Immunization Requirement

There are currently two exemptions to the MMR Immunization Requirement a student may submit an appeal for:

• Medical Exemption: can be granted for students who provide documentation (using the WCC MMR Medical Exemption Form found below) written by a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner, stating that the student has a health condition, which is a valid contraindication of receiving a specific vaccine. A permanent or temporary exemption may then be granted.
• Religious Exemption: A student may be exempt from vaccination if, in the opinion of the WCC Health Services Coordinator or Staff Nurses, the student (parent or guardian of students < 18 years of age) holds genuine and sincere religious beliefs, which are contrary to the practice of MMR immunizations. Using the WCC MMR Religious Exemption Form found below, the statement must indicate why the vaccination for all or three of diseases is contrary to the religious belief. Request for exemptions must be in writing and signed by the student or parent if indicated by age. General philosophical or moral objections to such vaccine shall not suffice as the basis for a religious exemption.

In order for the College to consider a request for a religious or medical exemption to the MMR Vaccine Requirement, the student MUST submit the appropriate WCC form found below. Only WCC forms completed in their entirety will be accepted and reviewed.

It may take the college up to ten (10) business days to review a request for an exemption.  Students will receive notification of the outcome of their exemption request in their MyWCC emails.  For more information about accessing your MyWCC email, please click here.

Students who are approved for an exemption to the MMR Vaccine Requirement may be required to remain off-campus until the Westchester County Department of Health deems it safe to return if a measles, mumps or rubella outbreak should occur on campus.

Please see SUBMIT YOUR PROOF OF IMMUNIZATION above for more information how to submit your forms to the WCC Health Office.

MMR Medical Exemption FormMMR Religious Exemption Form

Submitting Meningococcal Meningitis Immunization Documentation

Students Who Are Immunized to Meningococcal Meningitis: Students must provide copies of their immunization records from doctors, schools, or serology lab reports.  Students may also have a physician complete the Recommended Meningococcal Meningitis Vaccination section of the:

MMR & Meningococcal Meningitis Immunization Form

Students Who Are NOT Immunized against Meningococcal Meningitis: Meningococcal Requirement, students must complete and sign Part 2: Meningococcal Response on the:

MMR & Meningococcal Meningitis Immunization Form

Please see SUBMIT YOUR PROOF OF IMMUNIZATION above for more information how to submit your forms to the WCC Health Office.

MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE FACT SHEET

NYS Public Health Law 2167: Colleges must distribute information about meningococcal disease and vaccination to ALL STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF AGE (registering for 6 or more credit hours), about meningococcal disease. This information must be provided to parents or guardians of students under the age of 18. Westchester Community College is required to maintain a record of the following for each student:

• A vaccine record indicating at least 1 dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine within the last 5 years or a complete 2 or 3 dose series of Meningococcal B: OR
• A signed response form indicating that the student will not obtain immunization against meningococcal disease. The response form must be signed if the student has not received the meningococcal vaccine within the past 5 years.

All students regardless of age, that have not received the vaccination against Meningococcal Meninigitis in the past 5 years, NYS Public Health Law mandates that you read and sign Part 2: Meningococcal Response on the WCC Immunization Form.

Meningitis disease is a severe bacterial infection of the bloodstream or meninges (a thin layer covering the brain and spinal cord). It is a relatively rare disease and usually occurs as a single isolated event. Clusters of cases or outbreaks are rare in the United States. It is transmitted through the air via droplets of respiratory secretions and direct contact with an infected person. Direct contact, for these purposes, is defined as oral contact with shared items such as cigarettes or drinking glasses or through intimate contact such as kissing. Although anyone can come in contact with the bacteria that causes meningococcal disease, data also indicates certain social behaviors, such as exposure to passive and active smoking, bar patronage, and excessive alcohol consumption, may put students at increased risk for the disease. The early symptoms usually associated with meningococcal disease include fever, severe headache, stiff neck, red-purple rash, nausea, vomiting and lethargy, and may resemble the flu. Because the disease progresses rapidly and can be fatal, students are urged to seek medical care immediately if they experienced two or more of these symptoms concurrently. If it is caught early, meningococcal disease can be treated with antibiotics. But, sometimes the infection has caused too much damage for antibiotics to prevent death or serious long-term problems. The single best way to prevent this disease is to be vaccinated. Various vaccines offer protection against the five major strains of bacteria that cause meningococcal disease.

For more information, please go to https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2168.pdf or www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/. If you wish to receive the meningococcal vaccine, contact your health care provider or the Westchester County Department of Health at 914-813-5000 or contact the Westchester Community College Health Office at 914-606-6610 for locations and phone numbers of local Neighborhood Health Centers.