Health and Immunization Records

Required Immunizations | Exemptions | Immunization Hold Policy

Physical Exam Guidelines | Request For Records | F.A.Q.

Immunization Requirements

General Guidelines

The State of Illinois College Immunization Code (77 ILL.ADM.CODE 694) requires that specific immunization records be on file with Aurora University Health Services prior to arrival. All students who meet the criteria listed below are required to submit immunization documentation to their Spartan Health Portal or complete the Immunization Record form.

• All undergraduates enrolled in 6 or more credit hours per 16-week semester (or equivalent) and whose class sessions meet on the Aurora campus (including Woodstock Center).
• All graduate/doctoral students enrolled in 4.5 or more credit hours per 16-week semester (or equivalent) and whose class sessions meet on the Aurora campus (including Woodstock Center).
• All residential students (students who will be living on the Aurora campus).
• All international students.
• This requirement does not apply to any students fully enrolled in AU Online.

Deadlines for submission:
Undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students are required to submit their immunization records prior to the first day of class.

Required Immunizations

For information on specific immunization requirements, please select most appropriate selection below:

• Undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctoral Students
• International Students
  
  

Proof of immunity can be accomplished by providing any of the following:

• Month, day and year immunizations were administered with healthcare provider signature
• Submission of an antibody titer (blood test) lab report indicating immunity (acceptable for Measles, Mumps and Rubella only)

If you have been in the Illinois school system since 1989 it is likely that you have already had most if not all required immunizations. The only exception is the time sensitive Tetanus, Diphtheria (Td) or Tetanus, Diphtheria, acellular Pertussis vaccine (Tdap) which is not acceptable if administered 10 or more years ago.

Acceptable forms of documentation

• Completed and signed Student Health/Immunization Record by your healthcare provider.
• Immunization records from a prior educational institution (high school, college/university). Records must have school's letterhead clearly visible to be considered admissible.
• Military records documenting the month, day and year of immunization administration.
• Antibody titer lab report indicating positive immunity. Please note values reported in the "equivocal" range are not considered to indicate positive immunity.

All immunization records must be in English, clearly legible and includes student's name and date of birth to be considered admissible. Please be sure to make a copy of these important documents for your own records prior to submitting to Health Services.

How to submit records to Health Services

• SpartanHealth Portal: Upload immunization records through the student health portal. Please visit aurora.studenthealthportal.com and use your AU email and password to access the portal. Okta verification is required. Immunization submission instructions can be found here.
• Fax to 630-844-5611
• Mail to 347 South Gladstone Ave., Aurora, IL, 60506 (Attention: Health Services)
• In-person: Wellness Center located at 1317 Marseillaise Place, Aurora, IL 60506. Open M–F, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Important: If these records are required by another AU department (e.g. Athletics, Nursing), please note it is your responsibility to submit a separate copy to Health Services.

Exemptions

Students will be granted an exemption to the immunization requirement based on reasons listed below. Please note that if a request for exemption is granted and you are not immune to certain diseases, then you may be excluded from campus in accordance with state and local health department requirements in the event of a disease outbreak. Persons not vaccinated against certain diseases, such as tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, and meningitis may be at higher risk if exposed to them. While students with exemptions will not be required to get new immunizations it is in your best interest to submit documentation of any past immunizations especially for measles, mumps, and rubella.

Medical Exemption*

You may be exempt from one or more of the specific immunization requirements if you have a medical condition that prevents safe immunization administration. Your healthcare provider must complete and sign our Immunization Medical Exemption Form in order to request a medical exemption.

Special Note: Medical exemptions related to pregnancy will be valid for the semester in which the completed Medical Exemption form was received in Health Services. If a medical exemption is requested beyond the semester in which the form was received, an additional medical exemption form is required at the onset of the subsequent semester.

Religious Exemption*

You may be exempt from one or more of the specific immunization requirements if you object to immunizations on religious grounds. You (or your parent or guardian if you are under 18) and your healthcare provider must complete and sign our Immunization Religious Exemption Form in order to request a religious exemption.

*An immunization exemption is solely for admission purposes and may impact a student's ability to meet the requirements of their major. Due to the requirements of our clinical affiliates, the School of Nursing does not accept exemptions to vaccine requirements. All students admitted to the program are strongly encouraged to also be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If a student requests a medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine, the School of Nursing cannot guarantee placement at a clinical site and progression in the program.

Age Exemption

Students born prior to 1/1/57 are exempt from measles, mumps, and rubella only. If you were born before 1/1/57 and enrolled at AU for the first time or will begin a new degree program in Fall of 2016 or later, you will need to provide documentation of at least three-doses of past tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis containing vaccine with one dose being a tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) and administered within the past 10 years.

Class Location

Students who are enrolled in classes that meet at a location other than the Aurora University campus are exempt from all immunization requirements. Please note that the Woodstock Center location is considered to be part of the Aurora University campus.

Immunization Hold Policy

Failure to provide Health Services with health/immunization records required by the State of Illinois College Immunization Code before the first day of class for all undergraduate and graduate students will result in the placement of an immunization hold on your student account.

Students with an immunization hold will not be allowed to register for subsequent semesters or make changes to their existing schedule until required health/immunization records have been received and processed by Health Services.

Once the required health/immunization records have been received, the immunization hold will be removed and registration from an immunization standpoint will be allowed. Records submitted are typically processed same-day, however, please allow at least 3-5 business days for record processing during high volume periods.

Physical Exam Guidelines

No physical exam is required for general admission to AU, however all students planning to participate in intercollegiate athletics at AU must have a physical on file with our Athletics Department prior to athletic participation. For further guidance on required athletic participation forms you may visit the AU Athletic Training Department's page.

Request for Records

Protection of personal health information is taken seriously at Aurora University. It is mandated by law that Health Services cannot release health-related information of adult students (18 years old or older) unless requested to do so in writing by the student.

When requesting health records a "Release Form" must be submitted to Health Services before the request can be honored. Please allow 5-7 working days for the processing of the request. Aurora University maintains student health/immunization records for 7 years post student graduation. After 7 years records are destroyed.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. "I do not have a copy of my prior shot records, what should I do?"

The following is a list of suggested places to begin your immunization record search:

• High School: Check with your high school. A copy of your immunization records were required prior to your enrollment.
• Prior University / College: If you had attended another educational institution prior to Aurora University, contact the institution's Health Services Department for a copy of your immunization records.
• Physician's Office: Your pediatrician / doctor may be able to provide you with a copy of your immunization records.

If after checking with all of the above you are still unable to obtain a copy of your immunizations records, the following options remain:

• Re-vaccination: The State of Illinois requires documentation of the month, day and year that the vaccine was administered along with a signature of the health care professional that administered the vaccine. Unfortunately, Health Services cannot accept your word that you had received the immunizations in the past.
• Antibody titer: (blood test) Contact your physician to request an antibody titer (blood test) for measles, mumps and rubella. This test will confirm whether or not you are immune to measles, mumps, and/or rubella. A copy of the lab report confirming immunity must be submitted to Health Services. Please note that all antibody titer results reported in the "equivocal" are not acceptable as proof of immunity and will require further written clarification by your physician.

2. "Where and how do I send my completed health/immunization records?"

Completed health/immunization records may be submitted to Health Services at the following contact information:

• SpartanHealth Portal: Upload immunization records through the student health portal. Please visit aurora.studenthealthportal.com and use your AU email and password to access the portal. Okta verification is required. Immunization submission instructions can be found here.
• Fax to 630-844-5611
• Mail to 347 South Gladstone Ave., Aurora, IL, 60506 (Attention: Health Services)
• In-person: Wellness Center located at 1317 Marseillaise Place, Aurora, IL 60506. Open M–F, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

3. "I am missing an immunization (shot), where can I go to get the shots I need?"

Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurance plans are required to cover recommended preventative services without charging a deductible, copay or coinsurance when service is provided by an "in-network" provider. Adult immunizations such as MMR vaccines, Tetanus, Diphtheria, acellular Pertussis (Tdap), and meningococcal vaccines are included under recommended preventative services. For the most affordable immunization administration option, obtain a list of "in-network" providers from your health insurance plan and schedule an appointment. Retail clinics like Walgreens, CVS, and Target as well as your local public health department, may be another option for obtaining the immunization you need. If using this option, please note that receipts of purchase for vaccination does not fulfill requirement. Documentation must show that vaccine was administered along with the healthcare providers signature.

4. "I have an immunization hold (IM Hold) on my student account, what does this mean and what should I do?"

Students who have not submitted all required immunization records will receive an IM hold on their student account. This hold will prevent you from registering for further classes at AU. Failure to provide required documents by the first day of classes will result in the IM hold being applied to your account. When the IM hold is applied, you will receive an email (to your Aurora email address) informing you to log into your SpartanHealth student portal to view what information is required to have the IM hold removed. It is in your best interest to submit the required immunization records to Health Services as soon as possible to prevent delays in registration.