Health Information – 5 things you need to read

At Eastern, all incoming full-time students must complete the University’s health requirements before moving in and starting classes. They include your immunization history, your medical history, and a Tuberculosis (TB) Risk Assessment. These requirements are found on the full time CSU Health Service Form. Please submit the completed health form as soon as possible but no later than August 12th for the fall semester and January 5th for the spring semester.

All students living in campus housing are required, by state law, to have been immunized with the meningitis vaccine before moving in. Students not living in campus housing are not required to get this vaccine; however, the Office of Student Health Services recommends it for all incoming students. Important: As of 2014, state law requires that students get another meningitis shot if they received their previous meningitis vaccine(s) more than five years before the starting date of college. Additionally, we recommend students who have not already received the three-shot hepatitis B vaccine series, do so. Read more about meningitis, hepatitis and their respective vaccines at
https://www.easternct.edu/health-services/_documents/meningitis-website-page-2016-update.pdf and https://www.easternct.edu/health-services/_documents/Hepatitis-B-fact-sheet.pdf.

MENINGITIS: A new meningitis vaccine is now available that protects against Meningitis-B. Meningitis Type B is not included in the standard meningitis vaccines that students routinely receive from their doctors so students are not protected against it. In recent years, Meningitis-B has caused serious illness and some deaths on several college campuses. Although neither Eastern nor the state requires college students to have this vaccine, we recommend you discuss it with your health care provider.

IMPORTANT: Starting in fall 2017, students will no longer be required to have health insurance to attend Eastern. Also Eastern will no longer be offering a health insurance plan to students and students will no longer need to complete an insurance waiver process. Despite these changes, and although the services at our office are free or at minimal cost, we not only strongly recommend but URGE all students to be adequately protected with a policy. Without health insurance, a major illness or accident could result in very serious financial difficulty for students and families. Connecticut students needing insurance can find out more about available insurance resources and plans (including no-cost coverage under Medicaid) at the Access Health CT website, www.accesshealthct.com or can call 1- 855-354-2428. Students not residents of Connecticut should check www.healthcare.gov. (For more insurance information, including about an accident policy, view the Insurance Information page on our website.

Please make sure you have current health insurance information with you here at school (health insurance card, or other documents, with the name of insurance, policy number, policy holder, claims address.) Although our medical services are generally free, insurance information is required if and when additional lab tests, x-rays or referrals are needed as well as for getting prescriptions. Also, insurance information should be updated whenever a change in coverage occurs. We will ask for this information when you call or come in for an appointment.

ATHLETES (VARSITY AND CLUB SPORTS) – IMPORTANT! You must undergo an athletic pre-participation evaluation (PPE) and a copy of that evaluation must be on file at the Student Health Service office before trying out for or participating in varsity intercollegiate athletics or club sports. At Eastern, club sports include rugby, ice hockey, cheerleading, and football, among others. If you plan to try out or participate, or even if you are just thinking about doing so, please get this evaluation done by your health care provider. Please download and print the PPE form, answer the questions on it, then bring it with you to your doctor.

Once completed, mail to: Athletic Trainers, Sports Center, Eastern Connecticut State University, 83 Windham Street, Willimantic, CT 06226. Or fax to (860) 465-0324. To participate in athletics at Eastern, this form must be entirely completed. No exceptions will be made.