College Vaccination Requirements

Along with packing up the car with dorm supplies and readying themselves for the academic rigors of higher education, many college students prepare for their school year by obtaining necessary vaccinations. Because of the close quarters of college, communicable disease can easily spread through the student population. To ensure that you don't fall victim to a preventable illness, you must obtain preventative vaccinations. While specific requirements vary from college to college, the Centers for Disease Control recommends a host of vaccinations for college bound students.

Hepatitis B Series

• Hepatitis is preventable through vaccination, but if you fail to get vaccinated and contract hepatitis, it is incurable. This disease can lead to organ damage and, in extreme cases, death. The vaccination for hepatitis B is a series of shots administered over the course of a six month period. To ensure that you receive all of these shots prior to starting college, you should begin this series during the winter of your senior year of high school. If you fail to obtain all shots in the series before you go to college, you can often receive the remaining shots at your student health center to finish out the vaccination protocol.

Meningitis

• Meningitis is a highly communicable disease with devastating consequences. About 1,500 Americans contract meningitis yearly, reports the National Meningitis Association. Individuals who contract this disease risk organ damage, amputation and even death. Because the initial signs of meningitis closely resemble the traditional flu, this illness is often initially not treated and it develops into a severe ailment before the victim receives medical care. College students are at an increased risk for contracting meningitis because of dorm living. Meningitis is preventable with a single-shot vaccination. Nearly all colleges either require or strongly recommend this potentially life-saving vaccination.

Chicken Pox

• While chicken pox was once an expected childhood illness, many children today manage to make it through their formative years without contracting this illness due to the development of the varicella vaccine. If you have not had chicken pox, you must receive regular varicella boosters to ensure that you remain immune to this ailment. While colleges did not previously require a vaccine for chicken pox, as no such vaccine existed, with more individuals not having the disorder in childhood, many institutions of higher education are beginning to recommend this injection for their students. Obtain your booster prior to heading off to college if necessary.

Flu

• By receiving an annual flu shot, college students can avoid the potentially debilitating seasonal flu. Just as with other illnesses, dorm life allows the flu to spread rapidly among the student population. In an attempt to avoid an oncampus flu outbreak, many schools recommend or even require flu shots. Check with your student health center upon arrival at college as some institutions offer free flu shots to their students to entice them to receive this helpful injection.