Action needed: your student’s immunization records

Dear new Wake Forest families,

As we prepare to welcome our newest students to campus this August, our priority is ensuring a safe, healthy, and seamless transition for your student.

To protect the well-being of our entire campus community, North Carolina state law and university policy require all incoming students to submit mandatory immunization documentation. Right now, our records show that approximately 600 incoming first-year students still have incomplete immunization documentation.

We know that many students may understandably assume they completed this process correctly, but an item may be missing a signature, a vaccine series might be incomplete, or a document may not have uploaded successfully.

Because an incomplete health file results in an automatic account hold — which strictly prevents your student from moving into their residence hall, participating in Pre-Orientation activities, or attending classes — we need your partnership to ensure your student is fully cleared.

Please ask your incoming Class of ’30 student to complete these essential steps to verify their compliance, even if you or they believe everything has already been submitted:

• Step 1: Log In to the Deacon Health Portal: Your student must log into the Deacon Health Portal using their WFU email and password and complete all mandatory health forms.
  
  
• Step 2: Verify the Status Screen:
  • A green checkmark means they are fully compliant and ready for move-in day:
    
    
  • A red X means action is still required for a vaccine(s):
    
    
• Step 3 (for Students who see a Red X on their Status Screen):
  • Check Secure Messages to Resolve Issues: Students must open the “Secure Messages” tab within the Deacon Health Portal. Our clinical staff sends personalized, direct updates to this tab for students who have already uploaded documentation to outline exactly what information or documentation is missing.
  • Upload Official Records (if they have not completed any documentation): Save all official immunization records as a PDF and upload them directly into the Deacon Health Portal under the “My Forms” tab.
  • Our clinical team reviews documents in the order they are received. After 72 business hours, have your student log back into the portal to check their status screen to ensure it is now a green checkmark. If there is a red X, they must log in to their Secure Messages to see what the issue is and resolve it.
  • NOTE: If your student is missing a specific vaccine — such as the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY) required by North Carolina state law for incoming college students — please do not worry. Your student can contact Deacon Health now at 336-758-5218 to schedule an appointment to receive any missing immunizations right here on campus once they arrive. Making an appointment with our office for needed vaccines will allow them to move in as scheduled.

We understand that navigating healthcare requirements can feel overwhelming, and we are here to help your family navigate this process.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this vital requirement and for partnering with us to keep our community safe and healthy.

Cathy Higginbotham, MHA, BSN, RN
Executive Director
Wake Forest University Deacon Health