Kenyon College believes that the entire campus community is best positioned to remain healthy when all persons are immunized. Accordingly, first-year and transfer students are required to provide proof of full immunization prior to the start of the academic term for the CDC recommended vaccines for children and adolescents listed below: 

  • Hep B: three doses
  • Polio: four doses
  • Tdap: one dose within ten years
  • MMR: two doses
  • Meningococcal ACWY: two doses, unless the first dose is given at 16 years of age or older, then one dose is required.
  • Meningococcal B: two doses (Bexsero or Trumenba)
  • Varicella: two doses. If you have had the disease, a titer (blood lab draw) result will need to be provided.
  • Hep A: two doses
  • HPV vaccine:
    • If the HPV series is started prior to the 15th birthday, two vaccines are required.
    • If the HPV series is started on or after the 15th birthday, three vaccines are required.
  • Tuberculosis: required only if one or more of the following applies to you:
    • You are an international student from a high-risk country.
    • You were born in a high-risk country.
    • You have traveled to a high-risk country for more than one month within the last 5 years.
    • You have had close contact (lived or worked) with someone who had active tuberculosis.

In addition to the above, students will be expected to receive the influenza vaccine that will be offered in the fall (and which is provided at no cost on campus). Kenyon highly recommends that all students receive the updated COVID-19 booster vaccinations for the 2024-2025 academic year. Students can schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments at Knox County Community Health, or local pharmacies.

Medical and religious exemptions will be accommodated, but it is our expectation that our campus community will consist predominantly of fully vaccinated individuals, which serves to greatly reduce the risk of infection. Immunization documentation or exemption requests should be submitted as soon as possible and must be received no later than Thursday, June 1, 2024, at noon.

Providing Proof of Immunization

In addition to completing the Immunization History Form (see health history instructions), you must upload a COVID card or official record of immunization to your health portal.

To Upload Proof of Immunization

  1.  Log in to your health portal using your Kenyon username and Kenyon email/network password.
  2. Authenticate with Duo. Still need to enroll in Duo? See Duo instructions.
  3. Click the Document Upload link on the health portal home page.
  4. Choose “Immunization Record” or “Immunization Record - COVID Card “from the document type dropdown menu.
  5. Browse to your file on your computer. Accepted file formats: PDF, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP or GIF.
  6. Click save.

Requesting an Exemption

The College recognizes two possible exemptions to the immunization requirements: a medical exemption and a religious exemption. Information, including how to request an exemption, is included below. For additional information, please contact: Health Services at health@kenyon.edu or 740-427-5525.

Medical Immunization Exemptions

A medical immunization exemption may be granted when a person has a medical condition(s) that prevents them from receiving a vaccine. Typically, medical exemptions are granted when:

  • A disease or prescribed medication weakens the person’s immune system.
  • The person has a severe allergy to the vaccine or a vaccine ingredient.
  • The person has had a serious medical reaction which resulted in medical care due to this or other vaccines.

To obtain a medical immunization exemption, provide a letter from your medical provider (physician and/or advanced health clinician such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) that clearly states your name, date of birth and describes the medical reason you should not or are unable to receive the immunization.

Kenyon College may request additional information to assist in evaluating any exemption request.

Medical exemption inquiries may be directed to: Health Services at health@kenyon.edu or 740-427-5525.

Religious Immunization Exemptions

A religious exemption may be granted to accommodate an individual’s sincerely held religious belief, practice or observation. To obtain an accommodation on the basis of a religious exemption, please provide either:

  • a written and signed (by a parent or guardian if the student is under 18) statement from the student that includes all elements listed below:
  • an explanation of such religious belief, practice, or observation;
  • a description of the exemption being requested; and
  • a statement of how the requested exemption will resolve any conflict between the religious belief, practice or observation and the College’s immunization requirement.

OR

  • a letter from your clergy/religious leader that clearly states the student requesting the accommodation’s name, description of the student’s sincerely held religious belief, practice or observation, and statement detailing why an immunization cannot, or should not, be obtained.

Kenyon may request additional information to assist in evaluating an exemption request.

Religious exemption inquiries may be directed to: Health Services at health@kenyon.edu or 740-427-5525.

Restrictions for Non-Immunized Individuals

Should a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak occur, the non-immunized student will receive guidance from the Cox Health and Counseling Center in consultation with local public health authorities:

Outbreak of Disease

  • During a campus outbreak of a vaccine preventable disease, non-immunized students may be required to leave campus if campus conditions are deemed unsafe by the College in consultation with the local public health authority.
  • Non-immunized students may return to classes and/or living arrangements when the county public health officer and/or Cox Health and Counseling Center leadership determine that conditions are safe.
  • Non-immunized students are responsible for any loss of fees, loss of credit hours, and/or missed assignments associated with a campus outbreak related leave. Classes will not be transitioned to a hybrid teaching format if such an outbreak occurs.

Housing

Residential assignments may be altered in the event that it becomes necessary for the health of any resident. Such decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the Office of Residential Life.

Uploading Exemption Documentation

  1. Log in to your health portal using your Kenyon username and Kenyon email/network password.
  2. Authenticate with Duo. Still need to enroll in Duo? View the Duo instructions.
  3. Click the "Document Upload" link on the health portal home page.
  4. Choose "Immunization Exemption" from the document type dropdown menu
  5. Browse to your file on your computer. Accepted file formats: PDF, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP or GIF.
  6. Click save.