Allergy Immunotherapy

The Vassar College Health Service offers allergy immunotherapy injections for all students currently receiving treatment from an allergist or other provider. We do not initiate allergy immunotherapy and we will not provide the first dose in the clinic. We require that you provide orders and allergy immunotherapy administration schedule from your treating provider as well as the allergy serum. These can be brought to Health Service upon arrival to campus and will be stored in the Health Service clinic. These serums and associated documentation should be picked up prior to leaving for breaks or other prolonged absences from the college. We follow the Vassar College Health Service Allergy Serum Injection policy when providing this service.

After receiving allergy injections, students are required to remain at the health services for a minimum of 30 minutes for observation, or longer based on the provider orders, in order to monitor for reactions. If a patient does not remain in the clinic for the duration of the observation period, Vassar College Health Service providers may discontinue provision of allergy immunotherapy injections and will refer you to off-campus care.

If you plan to receive allergy immunotherapy injections while on campus, please reach out to Health Service as we will review this information packet with you which includes instructions for you and your current treating provider.

Scheduling an appointment

To make an appointment, call (845) 437-5800 during office hours. If you cannot make it at the scheduled time, please call and notify us. Allergy immunotherapy will only be administered when a provider is on-site in the clinic, there is sufficient time for observation after administration, emergency resuscitation supplies are available and you are feeling well. Appointments will be rescheduled if these conditions can not be met.

There is a nominal charge for this service and will be charged to VCash. Please see billing for further information.

Information Needed on Allergy Immunotherapy Orders

• Patient Name and date of birth
• Full dosage schedule: including dosing interval and maintenance dosage for each vial
• Site of administration and rotation schedule (ex.  alternate arms each week)
• Late/missed dose schedule
• Labeled vial number with type and concentration of the allergens
• Local reaction adjustments, treatment and notification process
• Local/systemic reaction instructions
• Routine or Special instructions to the provider administering injections
• Expiration date of orders, if applicable

Student Instructions and Responsibilities

1.  The student is responsible for providing their allergist with the Immunotherapy Order Form and making sure that it is completed and returned along with the allergist’s orders prior to receiving their first dose on-campus.  If a student has a history of severe reactions, Vassar College Health Service reserves the right to refuse to administer the injections in the clinic.  The student will instead be referred to a local allergist or primary care provider. 
2. The student is responsible for arranging their own injections while they are away from campus.
3. The student is responsible for picking up their serum and their treatment records during break periods and at the end of the academic year.
4. The student is responsible for ordering antigens from their allergist and bringing these antigen vials to the Health Service if they are mailed directly to the student.
5. The student understands that Vassar College Health Service requires all patients who are prescribed epinephrine (ex. Epi Pen) to have it with them during their allergy injection visit in order to receive their injections.  The student is responsible for renewing their prescription for epinephrine.
6. The student is responsible for making appointments at the Health Service for their injections at least 24 hours before the injection is due by calling (845) 437-5800. 
7. The Health Service will store allergy serum; however, Health Service is not responsible for loss or damage to allergy serum due to power failure or other causes.
8. The student understands that there is a nominal fee that is applied to the student account for allergy immunotherapy injections.  If one injection is administered the fee is $10 per visit.  If two or more injections are administered the fee is $15 per visit.  Upon student request, an itemized bill can be provided so that the student can submit documentation to their insurance company for reimbursement.
9. The student understands that they must stay on-site at the Health Service for at least 30 minutes after immunotherapy has been administered.  Additional time may be required and is at the discretion of the treating advanced care provider.  Failure to comply will result in loss of privileges at the Health Service to receive immunotherapy services.