How to Complete and Upload the JMU Immunization Form

To complete the JMU immunization form, enter the exact date of every required dose, have a licensed healthcare provider sign it, save it as a single PDF, and upload it through MyJMUChart before July 6 for a fall start or January 5 for a spring start. Miss the deadline and James Madison University charges a $50 nonrefundable fine and places an academic hold that blocks schedule changes and future enrollment.¹

What the Form Has to Show

Virginia Code § 23.1-800 requires proof of immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, and rubella for every first-time full-time student at a public four-year university. Meningococcal disease and hepatitis B are also required, but those two can be declined with a signed waiver.²

The specific doses, drawn from the American College Health Association guidelines the statute references:

MMR: two doses given at least 28 days apart, after 12 months of age.
Tdap: one booster, usually given between ages 11 and 18, with another booster every 10 years.
Polio: a four-dose IPV series, or a completed OPV-IPV mix from childhood.
Hepatitis B: a two-, three-, or four-dose series depending on the brand; the standard three-dose schedule runs at 0, 1, and 6 months.
Meningococcal conjugate (ACYW): an initial dose or booster received on or after the 16th birthday.

JMU also requires a TB screening, but that is a separate online questionnaire and is not part of the immunization form itself.⁴

Gathering Your Records and Filling It Out

Before opening the form, pull your immunization history from your pediatrician, high school, or a previous college. JMU needs the month, day, and year of every dose. Records that list only a year, or that are partly illegible, will slow the review.

Download the form from the University Health Center forms page. It is a Word document.⁵ The top section asks for your name, JMU student ID, date of birth, and contact information. Match these to what the registrar has on file. Below that, enter the exact dates for each vaccine. For meningococcal, the form asks specifically whether the dose was on or after your 16th birthday, so verify that date. For hepatitis B, record dates for whichever series you completed, including a two-dose Heplisav-B series.

Once dates are filled in, take the form to a licensed healthcare provider. The provider reviews and signs it, which is what JMU relies on to validate the record.¹

If you already have an official immunization record from a healthcare provider or a previous school, you can submit that instead of the JMU form. A provider signature is required only when the JMU form is used; outside official records stand on their own.

What to Do if You Can’t Find Records

A blood titer test can prove immunity when vaccine records cannot be located. The titer measures antibody levels, and JMU accepts titers for MMR, hepatitis B, and varicella; the form also has a space for meningococcal titer results.⁶ Attach the lab report showing a positive result. If a titer comes back negative, you will need to be vaccinated and submit the new date.

Titer costs vary by lab and insurance. Getting a booster shot is often cheaper and faster than ordering titers for every missing record.

Uploading Through MyJMUChart

All immunization submissions go through MyJMUChart, JMU’s secure student health portal. Scan the signed form and save it as a single PDF. The portal accepts PDF only; photos and Word files will not upload.

Log in with your JMU credentials, go to the upload section, and pick the correct document type from the menu. Keep every page in one file. Splitting pages across separate uploads can leave the review incomplete. The portal confirms that the file arrived, but that is not the same as a completed review. Health Center staff processing takes additional time, and summer volume is heavy.¹

Deadlines and Consequences

The deadlines are firm and tied to your first term:

Fall semester (August start): July 6
Spring semester (January start): January 5

Miss it and two things happen. A $50 nonrefundable fine posts to your student account, and an academic hold goes on that blocks adding or dropping classes and prevents future enrollment. Clearing the hold requires both the completed immunization documentation and payment of the fine at the University Business Office on the 5th floor of the Student Success Center.⁴

Reviews in late June and early July can take several business days. Submitting a few weeks early leaves room to fix any problem the Health Center flags. Waiting until the deadline is how students end up with holds they cannot clear before classes start.

Religious and Medical Exemptions

Virginia law recognizes two exemptions from the vaccination requirements. A student who objects on religious grounds may file a religious exemption, and a student whose physician certifies that a vaccine would be harmful may file a medical exemption.⁷

The Religious Exemption Form is available on the Health Center forms page. The medical exemption needs a written statement from a licensed physician identifying the specific vaccine that is contraindicated and the reason. Either exemption still has to be uploaded through MyJMUChart before your deadline.⁵

The meningococcal and hepatitis B vaccines have a separate waiver under Virginia law. Any student can decline those two by signing a written statement confirming they have reviewed information about the diseases and chosen not to be vaccinated. This waiver does not cover MMR, Tdap, or polio, which require either full vaccination or a religious or medical exemption.²

1
James Madison University. University Health Center – Incoming Students
2
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 23.1-800 – Health Histories and Immunizations Required; Exemptions
3
American College Health Association. Immunization Recommendations for College Students
4
James Madison University. Health Center Frequently Asked Questions
5
James Madison University. University Health Center Forms
6
James Madison University. Master of Science in Nursing Health Standards
7
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 23.1-800 – Health Histories and Immunizations Required; Exemptions