Massachusetts § 15D - Meningococcal disease; college students immunization

§ 15D. Meningococcal disease; college students immunization

Section 15D. No newly enrolled full-time student attending a college, university or secondary school who will be living in a dormitory or comparable congregate living arrangement licensed or approved by the college, university or secondary school shall be registered at the institution except upon presentation of a medical certificate that the student has been immunized against meningococcal disease or on the condition that a medical certificate documenting immunization against meningococcal disease shall be provided within 30 days of registration; but a student may be registered at the institution upon certification made, in writing, by a physician who has personally examined the student and in whose opinion the physical condition of the student is such that his health would be endangered by the immunization, or the student has signed a waiver stating that the student has received information provided by the school or the health department containing the information required by this section. A parent or guardian of a student less than 18 years of age shall sign the waiver. The department of public health shall promulgate rules and regulations for enforcement of this section and in developing the waiver forms, which shall contain information about the risks and dangers of meningococcal disease. In the absence of an emergency or epidemic of disease declared by the department of public health, no student who states in writing that immunization would conflict with his religious beliefs shall be required to present the medical certificate in order to be admitted to the institution. This section shall not require an institution to provide the vaccine or the expense for the vaccine against meningococcal disease.