1,000 new students to be barred by PARIS

Up to 1,000 freshmen may be barred from registering for spring classes because they failed to meet Student Health requirements, University Immunization Coordinator Vernell Edwards said yesterday. Edwards said that all freshmen received immunization and health requirement forms from Student Health before coming to campus in September, but that many students "forget" or "neglect" to return completed forms. "We will begin blocking Friday or Saturday," Edwards said. "First-year students who have ignored our letters or not turned in their forms are the ones who will be affected." Early registration for next semester begins Monday. Returning students will not be included in the block, since they have met requirements in previous years, Edwards added. Student Health requires that all students have a Tetanus--diphtheria booster within the last ten years, proof of immunity for measles, mumps and rubella, a PPD skin test and a physical. Edwards said that part-time students are not required to have a physical, but must comply with the immunization regulations. Students who are not in compliance with Student Health requirements may contact Student Health by phone between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., or stop by between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. today, Edwards said. Student Health is located in Penn Tower on 34th Street. "We expect a big crowd," Edwards said. "Many students probably already have their [health] forms filled out, but haven't turned them in." Edwards warned that some students, who do not meet the requirements, cannot be immunized in just one day. "For some students the process takes more than a day," Edwards said. "But we do remove the block if students come in the office and make an appointment to return." "We do our very best when students are involved," Edwards added. The University has used registration blocks to force students to comply with policies since the Penn Automated Registration Information System was established three years ago. Last fall, 500 students were also blocked because they failed to return immunization forms. Previously, the Psychology Department prevented majors from registering if they had not seen an advisor. The College office also has blocked juniors without declared majors. Engineering freshman Srihair Kumar said he thinks blocking students from registering is necessary because all students should meet a minimum health requirement. "I think that it's good that Penn requires a certain level of safety," Kumar said yesterday. "I think everyone should be made to comply with the regulations." And College freshman Daniel Horowitz said that immunization requirements "made sense." "I hate shots. They're a pain in the ass, but it's just a minor nuisance -- it's no big deal -- and people should be immunized," Horowitz said.