NYFA Immunization Policy

n compliance with applicable state laws and public health recommendations (New York State Laws (Public Health Law Section 2165 and Public Health Law Section 2167), Florida State Law (Education Code 1006.29), California Department of Public Health, Center for Disease Control), and to protect the health of our community, NYFA requires students enrolled in One-Year, Two-Year, AFA, BA, BFA, MA and MFA programs (for the NY campus, this is also a requirement for students attending 8 WK Acting for Film, 8 WK Photography, and 8WK Producing) to submit 30 days prior to program registration date the following:

• Proof of immunity to Measles, Mumps and Rubella
• Proof of Meningococcal (Meningitis) vaccination OR a signed response form indicating consent to either obtain or decline vaccination

NYFA also requires that incoming students carefully read the Meningococcal and Hepatitis Information Sheets - two documents included in each student’s acceptance packet.

MEASLES

All students born on or after January 1, 1957 must submit proof of immunity for measles, demonstrated by meeting one of the following three requirements:

• Two doses of live measles vaccine. The first dose must have been received no more than 4 days prior to the first birthday and the second dose received at least 28 days after the first dose, OR
• Physician’s diagnosis of disease, OR
• Serologic evidence of immunity (blood test results confirming immunity)
  
  

MUMPS

All students born on or after January 1, 1957 must submit proof of immunity for mumps, demonstrated by meeting one of the following three requirements:

• One dose of live mumps vaccine received no more than 4 days prior to the first birthday, OR
• Physician diagnosis of disease, OR
• Serologic evidence of immunity (blood test results confirming immunity)

RUBELLA

All students born on or after January 1, 1957 must submit proof of immunity for rubella, demonstrated by meeting one of the following two requirements. Please note: Clinical diagnosis of rubella disease is not acceptable proof of immunity.

• One dose of live rubella vaccine received no more than 4 days prior to the first birthday, OR
• Serologic evidence of immunity (blood test results confirming immunity)

MENINGITIS

All students are required to read the Meningococcal Information Sheet provided in each student’s acceptance packet and provide one of the following:

• A verified immunization record and no response form. The verified immunization record must indicate at least 1 dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine within the last 5 years OR a complete 2- or 3- dose series of MenB.
  • Bexsero - 2 dose series
  • Trumenba - 2 dose series (separated by at least 6 months) or a 3- dose series (3 doses given over the course of at least 6 months)
• A signed Meningococcal Response Form and an immunization record
• A signed Meningococcal Response Form indicating that the student will obtain meningococcal vaccine within 30 days
• A signed Meningococcal Response Form indicating that the student will not obtain immunization against meningococcal disease

If the student has not received the meningococcal vaccine within the past 5 years, a signed response form must be submitted.

For students under age 18, the Meningococcal Response Form must be completed and signed by a parent or legal guardian.

HEPATITIS B

All students are required to read the Hepatitis Information Sheet provided in each student’s acceptance packet. For students under 18, the Hepatitis Information Sheet must be shared with and read by a student’s parent of legal guardian.

HOW TO COMPLY WITH THE NYFA IMMUNIZATION POLICY

All incoming students are required to submit, 30 days prior to program registration, the following:

• NYFA Student Immunization Record Form verified, signed, and stamped by a healthcare provider (for students born on or after January 1, 1957), and
• NYFA Meningococcal Response Form completed and signed by students 18 years of age or older or signed by a parent/legal guardian for students under age 18.

Information on where to submit the NYFA Student Immunization Record Form and the NYFA Meningococcal Response Form is noted on each form and based on the NYFA campus the student is attending.

Instead of submitting a signed and verified NYFA Student Immunization Record Form, students may choose to submit any of the following to document their compliance with the NYFA Immunization Policy:

• a certificate of immunization signed by a physician;
• a copy of the immunization section of the cumulative health record from a prior school; a migrant health record;
• a community plan health record;
• a military immunization record;
• the immunization portion of a passport;
• an immunization record signed by a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner, or an immunization registry record

Submitting any of these documents instead of the NYFA Student Immunization Record Form may lead to minor delays in registration, should such documents not clearly indicate the specific vaccinations received and their dates of administration.

EXEMPTIONS FROM IMMUNIZATIONS FOR MEASLES, MUMPS, RUBELLA

 

Medical Exemptions: If a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, or licensed midwife caring for a pregnant student certifies in writing that the student has a health condition which is a valid contraindication to receiving a specific vaccine, then a permanent or temporary (for resolvable conditions such as pregnancy) exemption may be granted.

Religious Exemptions: A student may be exempt from vaccination if, in the opinion of the institution, the student and/or the student’s parent or legal guardian (for students younger than 18 years of age) holds genuine and sincere religious beliefs which are contrary to the practice of immunization. Requests for religious exemptions must be written and signed by the student or, for students under the age of 18, by the student’s parent or legal guardian.

Letters requesting medical or religious exemptions should be sent to:
SB Students: immunizationsSB@nyfa.edu
LA Students: immunizationsLA@nyfa.edu
NY Students: immunizationsNY@nyfa.edu

MILITARY WAIVER

 

Students honorably discharged from the military within 10 years from the date of application to this institution may attend classes pending the receipt of immunization records from the armed services. The proof of honorable discharge from the armed services shall qualify as a certificate enabling a student to attend NYFA classes until immunization records are received.

WHERE TO GO TO GET IMMUNIZED

Los Angeles Students:

Students may be vaccinated at no cost for Mumps, Measles, and Rubella at multiple locations within LA County. The Los Angeles Public Health provides a list of the following locations, several of which are in close proximity to the NYFA LA Campus: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/docs/MeaslesVacClinics.pdf


South Beach Students:

Students may be vaccinated for Mumps, Measles, and Rubella at Miami/Dade Health District, 1350 NW 145h Street, Miami, FL, 33125: http://miamidade.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/clinical-and-nutrition-services/immunizations/index.html

The MMR vaccination is offered at no cost for students 18 years old and younger. For fees for all vaccinations offered to students over the age of 18, please refer to the website linked above. To schedule an appointment, call 786-845-0550. The facility is open Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:40 p.m. MMR immunization services are also available at multiple pharmacies in close proximity to the South Beach campus.


New York Students:

Students may be vaccinated at no cost for Mumps, Measles, and Rubella at the NYC Health Immunization Clinic, Extension Downtown Brooklyn, 295 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11201, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/immunization-clinics.page

MMR immunization services are also available at multiple pharmacies in close proximity to the NY campus.

CONSEQUENCES OF NONCOMPLIANCE WITH THE NYFA IMMUNIZATION POLICY

Students not eligible for exemptions or waivers are strongly encouraged to fulfill all requirements of the NYFA Immunization Policy, fully described above, 30 days prior to their program start date.

New students who have not satisfied the NYFA immunization requirements prior to the day of registration will be granted a 30-day grace period to complete NYFA’s immunization requirements. Students who do not meet the requirements of the NYFA Immunization Policy once their grace period has expired will be withdrawn from NYFA and will be ineligible for tuition and housing refunds.

All students not abiding by the NYFA Immunization Policy will be subject to dismissal.

For additional information, please see our Immunization Q&A.