What: New state of Texas immunization requirement for bacterial meningitis

When: Effective for Spring 2012 semester

Who: You must provide DCCCD with proof of meningitis vaccination if:

• You are enrolling for the first time as a credit student.
• You are returning after a semester break in enrollment. (If you were enrolled during Fall 2011, you do not need to provide proof of vaccination.)
• You are transferring to DCCCD from another college or university.
• You are a new continuing education student enrolled in a program with 360 contact hours or more.
• You are a returning continuing education student enrolled in a program with 360 contact hours or more who has experienced a break in DCCCD enrollment.
• You are a dual credit, Middle College, Early College or charter high school student attending classes on a DCCCD campus.
• You are a continuing education student who is enrolled in concurrent credit courses.

Deadline: You must submit proof of vaccination (or booster shot within the last five years) to your college’s Admissions/Registrar’s Office before registering for class. The date of the vaccination must be at least 10 days before the first day of class. This allows time for the vaccination to take effect.

Where to get the shot: DCCCD students may obtain bacterial meningitis vaccinations from their own physicians, local health departments, clinics, area drug stores and similar facilities.

The Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services may have meningitis shots for $10 under the adult safety net program for persons age 19 or older. Call the Stemmons Freeway office at 214-819-2000 to check on availability. The department has requested a large number of doses but does not know when or how much they will receive before the end of the year. 

Where to take the form: Take the DCCCD Bacterial Meningitis Vaccination Verification Form (PDF - 172KB) to the Admissions/Registrar’s Office on the campus where you are enrolled.

Exceptions to the new law: You do not need to provide proof of meningitis vaccination for the spring 2012 semester under several exceptions.

• You are 30 years of age or older (by the first day of the semester in which you are enrolled).
• You are enrolled 100 percent in distance education classes. (You must complete the 100 percent distance education affidavit [PDF - 48KB] and fax or email it to your college.)
• You are enrolled in a continuing education course or program that is less than 360 contact hours or in continuing education corporate training.
• You are enrolled in one or more dual credit courses taught at a public or private K-12 facility which is not located on a DCCCD campus.
• You are a DCCCD student who is incarcerated in a Texas prison.

Exemptions: A DCCCD student or the student’s parents or guardians are not required to submit evidence of the bacterial meningitis vaccination if the student, parent or guardian submits one of the following affidavits, based on health and well-being or for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs. For either of these exemptions, you must submit to the Admissions/Registrar’s Office:

• A notarized DCCCD Bacterial Meningitis Vaccination Exemption Form (PDF - 151KB) and one of the following:
• An affidavit or certificate signed by a physician who is duly registered and licensed to practice medicine in the United States in which it is stated, in the doctor’s opinion, that the vaccination would injure the health and well-being of the student; or
• An affidavit signed by the student stating that she or he declines to take the vaccination for bacterial meningitis for reasons of conscience, including religious belief. In that situation, the student must obtain a conscientious objection form from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

For more information about bacterial meningitis, visit the Centers for Disease Control.

For details about DCCCD’s procedures, visit the Admissions/Registrar’s Office or the at any of the district’s seven colleges.

Learn more about the State of Texas’ Meningitis Vaccine Requirements.