Vaccine Information

Students have the right to request a waiver of a specific policy, requirement, practice or schedule conflict due to religious beliefs and practices or medical contraindications.  A student’s religious belief or practice which prompts the request for religious exemption must be sincerely held. 

Medical accommodation requests require signature of a healthcare provider indicating the need for medical exemption. 

The student will be required to fill out a Religious/Medical Exemption or Medical Accommodation Request Form. Students should work with the clinical coordinator to execute this process.  

It is the responsibility of the healthcare agencies to accept or deny medical accommodation or religious/medical exemption requests. Should an agency reject the  accommodation or exemption request, when possible, MATC will make reasonable efforts to identify an alternative clinical site but cannot guarantee placement.  Failure to obtain and complete clinical work will jeopardize the student’s ability to complete their program of study. 

Under no circumstances is a student permitted to contact clinical agencies regarding the status of their exemption or accommodation request.  All communication will take place via the MATC program clinical coordinator and the clinical agency.  

What to do: 

1.Students who do not wish to receive a vaccination for medical or religious reasons must review the Healthcare Pathway policy (below).  

2. Students who wish to proceed with requesting a vaccine exemption should contact the nursing clinical coordinator for guidance by email:  nicola@matc.edu.  Write “Vaccine Exemption Requested” in the subject line of your email.  

The clinical coordinator cannot accept any requests for a vaccine exemption after Monday June 16, 2025 at 3 pm.  No requests after the deadline will be considered.  

3.The clinical coordinator will provide counsel, answer questions and will provide the correct form(s) to complete.  Follow all instructions carefully to avoid delays.  The student must plan accordingly and adhere to timelines for submitting completed forms. 

4.The clinical coordinator will forward the completed vaccine exemption request to the facility for review and consideration.  This process can take several weeks or longer.  

5. As stated in the policy, the decision to grant or deny a vaccine exemption request is solely determined by the clinical facility. 

6.  Under no circumstances is a student permitted to contact clinical agencies regarding the status of their exemption or accommodation request.  All communication will take place via the nursing clinical coordinator and the clinical agency.  

7. The agency’s decision to grant or deny an exemption will be communicated to the student via email.  If a denial is issued, when possible MATC will make reasonable efforts to identify an alternative clinical site but cannot guarantee placement.  

On September 11, 2023, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved and authorized the updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant XBB.1.5. 

With this update, the bivalent COVID-19 dose is no longer authorized for use. 

Students enrolled in Healthcare Pathway programs that require clinical or field work placement must meet the requirements of the program and the clinical/fieldwork requirements in order to successfully complete their program.  As stated in the Healthcare Pathway Student Handbook:

Health Record Requirements  

Continuation in a Healthcare Pathway program is contingent upon completion and approval of  health records as required for each program. Program specific information can be found at matc.edu under the appropriate program page. Health requirements as determined by the Healthcare Pathway and clinical/field placement agency must be completed by the designated date in order to enroll in the course of study and enter the clinical/field placement agency.  Meeting the health record requirements is the sole responsibility of the student. Failure to comply with all health, drug test and criminal background requirements may result in immediate removal from the program.  

Health requirements include all vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccine if required by the clinical site or field work agency.   The clinical site or field work agency procedures for exceptions may apply. Due to the likelihood of a placement site requiring the COVID-19 vaccine, it is STRONGLY recommended that Healthcare Pathway students talk with their healthcare provider and consider completion of vaccination, prior to the start of the academic semester.  

If the vaccination is required by the clinical site, and the student declines the vaccination, it will impact a student’s ability to complete their program requirements thus resulting in a delay in clinical coursework and/or an inability to graduate with a degree or credential. 

MATC is NOT requiring students to get vaccinated, however as a guest at the clinical and fieldwork sites, it may be a requirement for placement to ensure safety of the patients/clients. 

More information on the COVID-19 vaccine can be found here:  http://www.matc.edu/coronavirus/index.html