Student Health Services is charged with the responsibility of evaluating and maintaining medical requirements for registration for all University of South Florida students. It’s one way we can help to keep the students and campus healthy.
We need 2 things: 1) Your Immunization Health History Form and 2) documentation of immunizations.
Here is what we are looking for: We must have our USF Immunization Health History Form with your student information on the top and your signature and date in Section B. These are non-negotiable. We will not clear your IM and MH holds if either of these crucial elements is missing. The other items in Sections A and B depend on what proof you have of your vaccines. The good news is there are many ways to comply with the state’s immunization requirement.
Please use Section A to prove state required immunizations for Measles and Rubella. Many times these are given as one shot called MMR. Proof of 2 MMRs will satisfy this requirement or if the vaccines were given separately, Florida requires proof of 2 Measles and 1 Rubella.
You have lots of options with Section B! If you are living on campus, USF requires proof of the vaccine for Meningococcal Meningitis (Menactra Vaccine). If you are not living on campus or don’t want the vaccine, please mark 
the box to decline this immunization. USF also wants you to be aware of the vaccine for Hepatitis B. If you have not had the vaccine and do not want it, this too, can be declined 
in Section B. For both the Meningococcal Meningitis and the Hepatitis B vaccine, we must have either your “check” 
in the declination box or the date(s) you were vaccinated.
How do I prove that I have had vaccinations?
1) If you have your own baby booklet, vaccine record, or shot record or a print out of your vaccines, we may be able to accept it. Please keep in mind that we must be able to tell that your shots were given by a medical professional. Not sure if we can accept your records? Let us take a look at it! We accept scanned copies, faxes, and we look forward to meeting you in person.
2) Your doctor’s office can document the dates of the vaccines and then sign and stamp Section D. We must have a way to contact your doctor’s office if we have questions, so a telephone number and address are great! 3) The County Health Department may have a record of your vaccinations. They can also document the dates you were immunized, then sign and stamp in Section D.
What do I do if the doctor’s office has closed or I don’t know which doctor gave me the vaccine? There are other places that may have kept your medical records – many times Middle Schools, High Schools, County Health Departments, and the U.S. Military all have these records. Records from these organizations may satisfy the requirement.
I know I have had those shots, I can’t prove it! More options here!
1) You can get the shots/vaccines again.
2) A laboratory can draw your blood and verify your immunity.
This is a good option if you don’t want the shots again and also because the lab tests are usually cheaper than getting the shots. We must put an * on choosing lab tests – the results must show enough immunity to the disease. If they do not, you will be asked to get the shots anyway to ensure immunity and we will not clear your IM and MH hold fully until you receive the vaccines.
Think you need a religious exemption or a temporary medical exemption? Contact us at immunization@shs.usf.edu or (813) 974-4056.
For additional answers, please visit our FAQs
This post is provided by Susanna Perez-Field and the staff at the Immunization Compliance Office in Student Health Services.