Immunization

Students are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to safeguard their health and the health of all members of our University and community.

Students can find vaccination locations nearest them by visiting vaccinefinder.org.

The flu vaccine is strongly recommended for the general student body. It is required of medical, nursing, and physical therapy students. Read more information about flu shots and how to obtain your flu vaccine.

Pertussis is a bacterial respiratory illness characterized by severe spasms of coughing that can last for several weeks or even for months. According to the CDC, in the United States, 5,000-7,000 cases of pertussis are reported each year. There has been an overall increase in cases since 1990, with a disproportionate increase in adolescents and adults.

Pertussis is highly contagious, with up to 90% of susceptible household contacts developing clinical disease following exposure to an index case. Adolescents and adults who have been vaccinated as children often have mild or no symptoms, but may have classic pertussis. Infected individuals can pass the disease to non-immunized or not completely immunized infants, and the disease can be severe in these individuals.

Due to the increased prevalence of pertussis, recent guidelines have recommended that tetanus boosters, which previously included diphtheria, should include pertussis as well. This combined vaccine (Tdap) should be given to adolescents. The Tdap vaccine can be given regardless of interval since the last tetanus or diphtheria-toxoid containing vaccine.

Meningococcal Meningitis and Hepatitis B immunizations are available at the University of Miami Student Health Service.

Meningococcal disease is a rare but potentially fatal bacterial disease that occurs either as meningococcal meningitis, inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord or meningococcemia, and the presence of bacteria in the blood. Meningococcal disease occurs in about 1-3 out of 100,000 people each year but is more common among first-year students living in on-campus housing. About 10-15% of those affected die in spite of antibiotic treatment and of those who survive, another 10-20% lose limbs, become deaf, have neurological problems, become mentally disabled, or suffer seizures or strokes.

Meningococcal bacteria are transmitted through the air via droplets of respiratory secretions and through direct contact with persons infected with the disease. Oral contact with shared items such as cigarettes or drinking glasses or through intimate contact such as kissing could put a person at risk for acquiring the infection. People identified as close contacts of a patient with meningococcal disease should receive antibiotics to prevent the disease.

Symptoms include high fever, severe headaches, neck stiffness, rash, nausea, vomiting, and lethargy (confusion, sleepiness, being hard to wake up). Because the disease progresses rapidly, often in as little as 12 hours, those who experience two or more of the above symptoms are urged to seek immediate medical care.

The vaccine is considered to be safe, but should not be given to those who have had a serious allergic reaction to any of the vaccine components. Anyone with a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome should speak to their healthcare provider before getting the conjugate (Menactra) vaccine. Some people have mild side effects including redness or pain at the injection site or fever. The vaccine does not completely eliminate the possibility of infection but is effective against the strains responsible for two-thirds of the cases on college campuses.

Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccines are available at the University of Miami Student Health Service.

Chickenpox is more than just a childhood disease. While the symptoms are usually mild in children, college students may be 10 times more likely than children to develop serious complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death. Each year, approximately 11,000 people are hospitalized and 100 die due to chickenpox.

Chickenpox may spread more easily in a college living environment, and college students are considered to be more susceptible to the disease. As with hepatitis B, health sciences students are at particular risk of exposure to chickenpox through patient care and furthermore may transmit the infection to patients at high risk of complications. A vaccine is available to prevent chickenpox, and the CDC and ACHA recommend all college students who have not had chickenpox be vaccinated against the disease. If your child has not had chickenpox, it is strongly recommended by health officials that he or she get vaccinated.

Hepatitis B is a serious infectious disease that attacks the liver and can lead to lifelong infection and even death. The virus is spread when an individual comes in contact with blood or other body fluids of an infected person through broken skin or mucous membranes. Each year approximately 3,000 - 5,000 people die from hepatitis B. Although there is no cure, the infection can be prevented by vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccination of everyone 18 years of age and under, as well as others at high risk for hepatitis B, including anyone with more than one lifetime sexual partner.

Unprotected sex, non-sterile body piercing, and tattoos, sharing needles, toothbrushes, razors and pierced earrings, and travel abroad to countries where hepatitis B is common, can increase the risk for college students. In addition, health sciences students (e.g., nursing and medical students) are at particular risk of exposure through patient care.

The hepatitis B vaccine is safe and effective, but should not be given to anyone who has had a life-threatening reaction to baker's yeast or to a previous dose of the vaccine. The most common side effect of the vaccine is soreness at the site of the injection. Vaccination requires a series of three shots over a six-month period and provides long-term immunity. In addition to vaccination, people can attempt to reduce their risk by using condoms during sex and avoiding tattooing and body piercing with non-sterile instruments or techniques. They should also avoid sharing needles, pierced earrings, razors, or toothbrushes.

The HPV vaccine is available at the Student Health Service. 

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Some HPV infections can cause cancer—like cancer of the cervix or in the back of the throat.

The HPV vaccine is recommended for everyone through age 26, as well as those ages 27 through 45 if they remain at risk and did not complete the vaccination when they were younger. The vaccine targets HPV subtypes that cause 70% of all cervical cancers and about 90% of genital warts and is given in a series of three doses in a 6 month period. For more information from the CDC, click here.