Welcome new students!
Health Services is here to provide quality care during your time as a CMU undergraduate or graduate student.
As a new student, there are several health requirements you must fulfill prior to the start of classes. Please review the following details regarding health records, health insurance, and online courses.
HEALTH FORMS & IMMUNIZATIONS
All new students to the Pittsburgh & Silicon Valley campuses must submit required health forms and immunization information, including uploading a CMU Immunization Record Form signed by their healthcare provider before arriving on campus. Students should log into HealthConnect and select Medical Clearances in the left menu to review and submit all required health information. New fall students can access HealthConnect after commencement, in mid-May.
Failure to comply with the below requirements will result in administrative suspension and removal from university housing.
Your records must verify the following immunizations:
Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
- 2 doses after age 1 or
- combination of 2 measles vaccines, 2 mumps vaccines and 1 rubella vaccine, or
- positive immunoglobin (IgG) antibody blood test to each (proves immunity)
Varicella (Chickenpox)
- 2 doses after age 1 or
- birth in the U.S. before 1980, or
- Date of disease, or
- positive Immunoglobin (IgG) antibody blood test (proves immunity)
Meningococcal AYWC (applies to students living in university housing)
- single dose of Quadrivalent or Pentavalent at or after age 16
- Pennsylvania requires the completed Meningitis AYWC vaccine.
- We also strongly recommend the Meningitis B vaccine.
Tuberculosis (TB) Screening Form
- Followed by TB testing, if indicated with Blood IGRA test. If you recently received a live vaccine (like MMR, Varicella, Yellow Fever, oral Typhoid, or nasal Flu), you should wait 4 weeks before testing. This testing MUST be completed before traveling to campus.
Need a required vaccine?
The following nearby pharmacies offer Varicella, Meningitis, and MMR vaccines on a walk-in basis and are in-network for CMU SHIP (so the vaccines are fully covered for students with CMU SHIP):
Giant Eagle Market District Pharmacy
Allegheny County Health Department Immunization Clinic is another local option for vaccines.
Immunization & Vaccines Frequently Asked Questions
What additional vaccines are recommended?
Recommended for all students:
- Hepatitis A - especially for those traveling internationally
- Hepatitis B
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV9)
- Polio
- Tetanus, Diptheria, and Pertussis (Tdap)
- COVID-19
- Flu
Recommended for members of high risk groups (consult with your medical provider regarding need):
- Meningococcal B
- Pneumococcal
I need to complete tuberculosis (TB) testing based on my responses to the TB Screening Questionnaire. What testing do you accept?
Where do I access the online forms and upload my records?
After commencement, new students can access all of our online forms and upload records in HealthConnect, under Medical Clearances in the left menu.
Please note: in order to access HealthConnect, your birthdate in the Student Information System (SIO) must be correct. If you are unable to access HealthConnect, check your birthdate in SIO. If it is incorrect, correct it at the HUB. The following day, it should be updated in HealthConnect. If you still have problems, email us for help.
Do I need a physical exam?
What if I do not have all of the required immunizations by the due date?
Can I request an exemption from a vaccine requirement?
Yes, if vaccination is not advised for medical reasons or conflicts with your religious belief/strong moral or ethical conviction. You can find and submit a vaccine exemption form in HealthConnect, under Downloadable Forms, or find them below:
Application for Personal or Religious Belief Exemption
Application for Medical Exemption
If a contagious disease outbreak occurs, the University reserves the right to ask students who have not been vaccinated against that disease to leave campus until the outbreak is over.
UNIVERSITY HEALTH INSURANCE REQUIREMENT
All full-time students (and some part-time, degree-seeking students, depending on program requirements) who are physically located within the U.S. must have medical insurance that meets the university's requirements.
The university offers the Carnegie Mellon University Student Health Insurance Plan (CMU SHIP), as well as vision and dental insurance plans, through Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. The CMU SHIP Highmark BCBS PPO plan is a national plan with participating health care providers across the U.S.
Prior to Open Enrollment, a default charge for the medical CMU SHIP annual premium fee is posted on each student's account. This charge is credited back for students who apply for and receive an approved waiver during open enrollment.
During Your Open Enrollment Period
If You Enroll in CMU SHIP
The insurance premium fee will remain on your student invoice. If you enroll in the vision or dental plans, or add dependents, the additional charges will appear on your student invoice.
You have the option to pay your insurance premium monthly.
You may also add dependents to your plan during certain times.
If You Apply for a Waiver
If your current insurance meets the university's requirements, you may apply for a waiver. If approved, a credit for the university plan premium fee will appear on your student invoice.
If You Take No Action (not recommended)
If you do not enroll in SHIP or apply for a waiver, you will be enrolled in CMU SHIP. The insurance premium fee will remain on your student invoice.
Waiting for this default-enrollment will delay your insurance enrollment and will delay access to your insurance details, so it is not recommended. If you intend to enroll in the student health insurance plan, please complete the steps to enroll during your Open Enrollment period.
SAFER SCOTTIES COURSES
Health and safety are critically important to the student experience, both in and out of the classroom. All new undergraduate students must complete online courses about substance use safety and sexual violence prevention. Incoming undergraduate students will receive access on Canvas on July 15th to two courses: Safer Scotties- Navigating Substance Use and Safer Scotties- Healthy Relationships. Incoming students should complete these courses by August 19th.
Incoming graduate students will also receive invitations to a course on sexual violence prevention on July 15th and are encouraged to complete them by August 19th.
Having issues with the course? Questions? contact healthpromotion@andrew.cmu.edu
HEALTHCONNECT
HealthConnect is our secure online portal, where students can complete health history and immunizations forms, schedule certain appointments, order prescription refills, request medical records and more.
Before receiving care at University Health Services, all students should:
- Log into HealthConnect with your Andrew ID and password.
- Update their HealthConnect profile and enable text messaging from UHS
- To enable text messaging:
- Select Profile in the left menu
- In the Text Messaging row, click Edit
- Enter mobile number, check "I would like to receive text messages", and select mobile carrier
- To enable text messaging:
- Complete the health history form in HealthConnect
- Read and acknowledge the UHS treatment agreement in HealthConnect
- Read and acknowledge our Statement of Privacy Practices