Medical Immunization Records FAQ

To request a medical or religious exemption, please see below.

1. Medical Exemption Guidelines:
   • The University of Illinois Chicago applies the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) College Immunization Code (Section 694.200 Medical Exemption)
   • Documentation from a medical provider is required if you cannot provide the month and year for immunizations due to one of the following:
     • You have immunity because you had the disease. Proof of disease history (measles/rubella or mumps only) is considered to be in full compliance with state law. A physician’s written statement is required to prove immunity.
     • You are contraindicated to a vaccine. If a medical contraindication (e.g., allergy to eggs, pregnancy, reaction to vaccine, participation in a current sequence of immunizations, etc.) exists, a written statement from a physician is required to document each specific medical contraindication.
2. Religious Exemption Guidelines:
   • The University of Illinois Chicago applies the IDPH College Immunization Code (Section 694.210 Religious Exemption)
   • A religious objection does not exempt a student from immunization unless the exemption is made in writing and signed by the student. Religious exemption letters can be returned in lieu of immunization records. Please note that students filing a religious exemption will be required to leave campus if an outbreak of any listed preventable disease occurs on or near campus.
   • Please explain in your own words why you are seeking a religious exemption, the religious principles that guide your objection to immunization, and please indicate the immunizations you are opposed to. General philosophical or moral reluctance to allow immunizations will not provide a sufficient basis for an exception to policy requirement.

How to Submit an Exemption

1. Go to your Med+Proctor account or register if you have not already created one.
2. Complete the Exemption form and provide necessary paperwork as listed on the form and below.
3. For medical exemptions, a statement from your then or current medical doctor will constitute compliance. If that is not available, then a lab titer document will suffice.
4. For religious exemptions, please explain in your own words why you are seeking a religious exemption, the religious principles that guide your objection to immunization, and please indicate the immunizations you are opposed to. General philosophical or moral reluctance to allow immunizations will not provide a sufficient basis for an exception to policy requirement. A document with only a typed signature, or that purports to come from someone else will be disapproved.
5. Once you have completed everything, you may then upload your exemption form and associated documents to your Med+Proctor account.

If there is an outbreak of any of the diseases UIC seeks immunization against, university administrators will consult the database of students who claimed exemption, for religious or medical reasons, and contact them to advise them to leave campus immediately and not return until an “All clear” is given. Such actions are for the safety of students who have not been immunized, as they are at higher risk of becoming sick and spreading the disease to other students and community members. At the time of such outbreak, students who formerly claimed exemption may seek to become immunized and present documentation of such immunization, to avoid the keep away notice.

If at any time you are exposed to any of the diseases, you will be asked to quarantine and you will not be permitted come to campus in order to avoid further spreading of the disease if you become sick

Ask your doctor or prenatal care provider to issue a statement confirming your pregnancy and the expected due date. You can upload that document to your Med+Proctor account to support your request for a medical exemption for the time being. The same precautions will apply to you during that time as with other kinds of medical or religious exemptions: should there be an outbreak on campus, and you have not been immunized, you will be advised to leave campus immediately, and not return until an “all clear” is given.

As soon as possible! You may think you have all the necessary documentation but that may not be the case. The sooner you submit your immunizations the more likely you are to avoid any registration holds or other negative outcomes.

University of Illinois Chicago has partnered with Med+Proctor to evaluate student immunization records for compliance. To start, go to their website and create an account. Once you have created your Med+Proctor account, upload your immunization records for review. The documents will be evaluated by trained health professionals who will either approve or disapprove each vaccine dose.

If you go to your account on Med+Proctor, you should be able to see the issue notes left by the reviewer. The most common reasons a document would be disapproved are the following:

• The document was too small or blurry to read
• The vaccine was administered outside the CDC’s accepted timeline
• The document is missing the student’s identifying information to prove it is the student’s immunizations that were submitted
• The vaccine record is not in English and requires translation
• The record is self-reported
• A vaccine is missing at least one of the required doses
  • This may result in the temporary clearance of a hold if the student has already received dose 1, depending on whether or not the waiting period required for dose 2 is still in effect
  • If neither dose 1 nor dose 2 have been administered, or if the waiting period between the two doses has already passed, the student is not eligible for a temporary clearance.

You are in the process of completing the series of required shots (MMR) but must wait the required timeframe before receiving the next required shot. A temporary clearance lifts a hold from the student’s account for a short period of time while the student is in the mandatory waiting period for a second dose of a vaccine and is otherwise compliant with the UIC immunization policy.

Those enrolled in a fully online program are exempt from submitting their immunization programs. Click here for a list of the online programs.

If your program is on-campus, but you have a few online classes, you still have to submit proof of your immunization records.

• Spring Semester: 1-2 business days upon receiving record
• Fall Semester: 2-3 business days upon receiving record

Your hold status can be checked by logging into my.UIC.edu. Click XE Registration, and click Prepare for Registration.

Optional. Students are no longer required to provide proof of COVID but are encouraged to submit their proof of COVID vaccine or exemption.

• Contraindications to vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine include:
  • Severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) after a previous dose or to a component of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech)
  • Immediate allergic reaction after a previous dose or known (diagnosed) allergy to a component of the vaccine.
• Contraindications to vaccination with Johnson and Johnson (Janssen), AstraZeneca, Covishield, Novovax, Sinopharm or Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine include:
  • Severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to a previous dose or component of Janssen, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Novovax, Sinopharm or Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccine.
  • Non-severe immediate allergic reaction to a previous dose of Janssen, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Novovax, Sinopharm or Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccine.

To make a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at UIC/UI Health, visit vaccine.uihealth.care. If you have any questions about specific vaccine availability on campus, please email covidvaccine@uic.edu.

UIC will accept all vaccines currently authorized for emergency use by either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO). For a list of approved vaccines, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization.

What happens if I take both doses of a vaccine not approved in the USA?

If the vaccine is currently authorized for emergency use by either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO), you will be considered fully vaccinated at UIC as long as you can provide documentation of vaccine receipt.

If the vaccine you take is not currently authorized for emergency use by either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization, the CDC recommends you receive the full series of an FDA-approved vaccine. You can do so once you arrive in Chicago, as long as 28 days have passed since your last dose of a non-WHO/non-FDA approved vaccine.

UIC will continue to monitor data on the effectiveness of different global vaccines against currently circulating COVID-19 strains in the US. If these strains are demonstrated to evade the protection afforded by the vaccines that you received in your home country, you may be subsequently advised to receive booster doses or other approved US vaccines that have greater efficacy against emerging vaccine-resistant strains.