SB 1680 — Immunization Registry

FloridaDOCUMENT SenateUNAVAILABLE - 2018 SB 1680 By Senator Montford 3-00954B-18 20181680__ A bill to be entitled An act relating to immunization registry;

amending s.

381.003, F.S.;

revising provisions relating to the communicable disease prevention and control programs under the Department of Health;

deleting a provision that allows the parent or guardian of a child to refuse to have the child included in the immunization registry;

providing requirements for electronic availability of, rather than transfer of, immunization records;

requiring certain health care practitioners to submit and update vaccination data in the immunization registry;

authorizing the department to adopt rules;

amending s.

1003.22, F.S.;

revising school-entry health requirements to require that students have a certificate of immunization on file with the department’s immunization registry;

providing effective dates.

19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

21 Section 1. Section 381.003, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

381.003 Communicable disease and AIDS prevention and control.— (1) The department shall conduct a communicable disease prevention and control program as part of fulfilling its public health mission.

A communicable disease is any disease caused by transmission of a specific infectious agent, or its toxic products, from an infected person, an infected animal, or the environment to a susceptible host, either directly or indirectly.

The communicable disease program must include, but need not be limited to:

(a) Programs for the prevention and control of tuberculosis in accordance with chapter 392.

(b) Programs for the prevention and control of human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome in accordance with chapter 384 and this chapter.

(c) Programs for the prevention and control of sexually transmissible diseases in accordance with chapter 384.

(d) Programs for the prevention, control, and reporting of communicable diseases of public health significance as provided for in this chapter.

(e) Programs for the prevention and control of vaccine preventable diseases, including programs to immunize school children as required by s.

1003.22(3)-(11) and the development of an automated, electronic, and centralized database and or registry of immunizations.

The department shall ensure that all children in this state are immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases.

The immunization registry shall allow the department to enhance current immunization activities for the purpose of improving the immunization of all children in this state.

1. Except as provided in subparagraph 2., The department shall include all children born in this state in the immunization registry by using the birth records from the Office of Vital Statistics.

The department shall add other children to the registry as immunization services are provided.

2. The parent or guardian of a child may refuse to have the child included in the immunization registry by signing a form obtained from the department, or from the health care practitioner or entity that provides the immunization, which indicates that the parent or guardian does not wish to have the child included in the immunization registry.

The decision to not participate in the immunization registry must be noted in the registry.

2.3. The immunization registry must shall allow for immunization records to be electronically available to transferred to entities that are required by law to have such records, including, but not limited to, schools and, licensed child care facilities, and any other entity that is required by law to obtain proof of a child’s immunizations.

3.4. A Any health care practitioner licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, or chapter 464 in this state who administers vaccinations or causes vaccinations to be administered to children from birth to 18 years of age or to students at a student health care facility of a Florida College System institution or a state university shall report vaccination data to the immunization registry.

Vaccination data for other age ranges may be submitted to the immunization registry on an optional basis.

Automated data upload from existing automated systems is an acceptable method for updating immunization information in the immunization registry.

complies with rules adopted by the department to access the immunization registry may, through the immunization registry, directly access immunization records and update a child’s immunization history or exchange immunization information with another authorized practitioner, entity, or agency involved in a child’s care.

The information included in the immunization registry must include the child’s name, date of birth, address, and any other unique identifier necessary to correctly identify the child;

the immunization record, including the date, type of administered vaccine, and vaccine lot number;

and the presence or absence of any adverse reaction or contraindication related to the immunization.

Information received by the department for the immunization registry retains its status as confidential medical information and the department must maintain the confidentiality of that information as otherwise required by law.

A health care practitioner or other agency that obtains information from the immunization registry must maintain the confidentiality of any medical records in accordance with s.

456.057 or as otherwise required by law.