FSC a Student Health Pioneer
February 16, 2018
In a recent report by the SUNY Vaccination Task Force on best practices at SUNY campuses, FSC was singled out for its forward-thinking vaccination policy.
For the Fall 2017 semester, the College transitioned
into a pre-matriculation vaccination 
policy. The new policy requires incoming students to present proof of mumps/measles/rubella vaccinations prior to registering for courses – rather than within 30 days of enrolling, as is the policy practiced by many institutions. The transition proved successful, with only 0.33% of incoming students non-compliant on the first day of class.
Said Kevin Murphy, director of FSC’s Health and Wellness Center: “The new policy allows us, in the event of a measles, mumps, or rubella outbreak, to quickly identify students who are at risk of contracting the disease, and remove them from campus until it is safe to return. SUNY alone has seen 124 cases of mumps on 13 campuses from January 2016 – January 2018.
“Fortunately, here at Farmingdale we have not had any cases but should we ever face an outbreak we are poised to move quickly and decisively to protect the members of our campus community. We strive to proactively implement policies that promote public health and began steps to put this in place in February 2017. The New York State Department of Health implemented guidelines in December 2017 that essentially mirrors the policy we implemented.”
