Allergy Shots

Students can APPLY to have their allergy shots administered by a registered nurse under the supervision of an on-site nurse practitioner in Student Health Services. This service is available only during the fall and spring semesters when classes are in session. Student Health Services will refrigerate, without liability, a student’s current vial of allergy serum and administer the injections according to their allergist’s written instructions. A student’s allergy shot instructions and allergy serum vials must meet our requirements before allergy shots will be scheduled in our office. The cost for the administration of allergy shots is $20 per semester payable at the FIRST allergy shot appointment.

To be eligible to receive allergy shots in our office, students must pass the Allergy Shot Approval Process by meeting TCNJ Student Health Services’ NON-NEGOTIABLE requirements and conditions. A student who is unable to meet our requirements or abide by our conditions will not be able to receive their allergy shots in our office. Requirements and conditions apply to every set of new allergy shot instructions and new allergy serum vials that the student brings in during the school year. Our requirements and conditions are as follows:

CONDITIONS/REQUIREMENTS:

  1. Allergy serum must be supplied by the student.
  2. Allergist’s written instructions MUST INCLUDE:
    • Allergist’s name, address and telephone number
    • Patient’s name (noted on vials and written instructions)
    • Contents of each allergy serum vial
    • Expiration date of allergy serum
    • Dose and frequency of allergy injections (printed schedule)
    • Date and dosage of last injection, including reaction
    • Documentation that the first dose of each new vial was administered by the student’s allergist.
    • Single dose vials will be accepted only if the contents of the vials are from a single batch of allergy serum.

    NOTE: Allergy serums that require mixing are not accepted.

  3. Students must remain in Student Health Services for 30 minutes following their allergy shot to be observed for any local or systemic reactions. Students who fail to comply with this requirement will NOT be permitted to receive allergy shots at our office.

ALLERGY SHOT APPROVAL PROCESS:

  1. Print the Allergist Information and Permission Form and take this form to your allergist to review and sign. The form must be submitted to our office after it is signed by your allergist BEFORE you can receive allergy injections and will be valid for one year.
  2. Your allergist must prepare your allergy shot instructions and allergy serum vials per our requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that your allergist has done this BEFORE you come to school.
  3. Bring your allergy shot instructions and allergy serum vials from your allergist to our office as soon as you arrive on campus. Note that it is IMPERATIVE that we receive your allergy shot instructions and serum vials in order to begin your Allergy Shot Approval Process.
  4. ALLOW 6 BUSINESS DAYS FOR THE REVIEW PROCESS! Schedule your allergy shots at home with your allergist accordingly before leaving for school.
  5. After your allergy shot instructions and allergy serum vials are reviewed by the TCNJ healthcare clinical staff, you will receive an email to your TCNJ account notifying you whether or not you have passed the Allergy Shot Approval Process.
  6. If you are approved to receive your allergy shots in our office, you can schedule your appointments for the semester right away.
  7. If you are NOT approved to receive your allergy shots in our office, it will become YOUR responsibility, not OURS, to contact your allergist to correct or amend your allergy shot paperwork until it meets our specified requirements. This may include our request that you pick up your allergy serum and allergy shot paperwork in our office and bring them back to your allergist for correction. Please do NOT have your allergist’s office call us because we cannot accept verbal instructions. All instructions must be in writing.
  8. Appointments for allergy shots can be scheduled for the entire semester to meet your needs. Allergy shots are NOT given on a “walk-in” basis. Appointments are available Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please keep in mind the 30 minutes post-shot observation period when selecting an appointment time.
  9. It is YOUR responsibility to cancel appointments that you cannot keep. Students who “no-show” for an appointment in our office are charged $10. Appointments are precious and it is an expectation that you provide notice to our office so that your appointment time can be offered to a fellow student. Students with allergy shot appointments lose their eligibility to receive their allergy shots in our office after 2 no-shows within a semester.
  10. At the end of the semester, students are expected to pick up their allergy vials and shot records prior to leaving campus. Allergy serum will be discarded if not picked up by June 1st each year.

TCNJ Student Health Services is committed to our patient’s safety in receiving allergy immunotherapy (allergy shots) and the above-stated requirements have been adapted from the American Academy of Allergy and Immunotherapy standards.

Please contact our office if you have any questions.