The State of Indiana requires Tuberculosis testing for all incoming international students at Purdue. The purpose of the testing is to protect your health and the health of the community. At Purdue, the testing is done by the Student Health Center staff, the testing may involve only one visit to the Student Health Center or may involve multiple visits depending on individual results. Testing for tuberculosis must be done within 3 months of starting classes in the United States.  If you have not already received a TB test with a negative result within the specified time frame, you must schedule an appointment once arriving at Purdue. To ensure that everyone meets the testing requirement, all international students have their future registration put on hold until completing the testing. At times, the holds may be confusing and the process takes time, following up on messages for the Student Health Center will make the process smooth and minimize the confusion.

First step for all international students is to provide PUSH with your immunization dates. Students over 18 will submit their dates online in the patient portal. Students under 18 will provide PUSH with either a record of their vaccines or completed immunization history form. After submitting immunization dates, schedule a PMIR visit, which is a Pre-Matriculation Immunization Review. At that visit, the Allergy and Immunization Service staff will review your immunization history and order a QFT blood test. The QFT blood test is to determine if you have or are at risk of having Tuberculosis.

If your blood test is negative and you have met all of your immunization requirements, your registration hold will be removed.

If your blood test is positive, you will be asked to return to the Student Health Center for a chest x-ray.  After the chest x-ray you will be scheduled for a physical exam to review the results of the chest x-ray and discuss your choices for treatment.  When you complete your physical exam appointment, your registration hold will be removed.

If your blood test is indeterminate, you will be asked to return to the Student Health Center for a chest x-ray.  After the chest x-ray, your registration hold will be removed for a period of six weeks only. At the end of the six week period, you must return to the Student Health Center for another blood test. At that time, if your blood test is negative or indeterminate, your registration hold will be removed. If your blood test is positive, you must have a physical exam with a health care provider. After the exam, your hold will be removed.