1Providing for Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
2recommendations for influenza vaccination in children.

3The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4hereby enacts as follows:

5Section 1.  Short title.

6This act shall be known and may be cited as the Immunization
7Practices Act.

8Section 2.  Recommendations for influenza vaccination in
9children.

10(a)  Duties.--In order to improve this Commonwealth's
11childhood immunization rates for influenza and comply with the
12recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization
13Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for
14influenza vaccination, the Department of Health shall do all of
15the following:

16(1)  Review and enhance current immunization activities
17to focus on vaccination of all children ages six months to 18

1years of age who are recommended for an influenza vaccination
2by the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices.

3(2)  Increase immunization awareness about injectable and
4needle-free delivery methods by publishing on the
5department's Internet website information about the benefits
6of annual immunization against influenza for all children
7recommended by the Advisory Committee for Immunization
8Practices.

9(3)  Work with appropriate State agencies and licensed
10child-care facilities to ensure that the information on the
11benefits of annual immunization against influenza for
12children ages six months to 18 years of age is annually
13distributed to parents in August before influenza season
14begins.

15(4)  Work with health care professionals and public
16health organizations to develop plans for expanding outreach
17and opportunities to achieve the Advisory Committee for
18Immunization Practices recommended target vaccination of all
19children aged six months to 18 years of age.

20(5)  Examine the use of schools and alternative venues to
21administer influenza vaccine to children in a timely manner.

22(b)  Programs.--The department may offer school-based
23influenza vaccine programs. To the extent that influenza 
24vaccinations are available, the department must offer both 
25injectable and needle-free delivery methods.

26(c)  Report.--The department shall annually, on or before May
271, submit a written report on all school-based vaccination
28programs administered or funded by the department. Its findings
29and recommendations shall be submitted to the chairman and
30minority chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee of

1the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Health
2Committee and the chairman and minority chairman of the Children
3and Youth Committee of the House of Representatives. The report
4shall include an assessment of all of the following:

5(1)  the benefits of establishing school-based influenza
6vaccination programs for the purpose of achieving the
7Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices recommendation
8for annual influenza vaccination of all children aged six
9months to 18 years of age;

10(2)  the rate of participation for students offered both
11shots and needle-free vaccine delivery methods;

12(3)  the school and community influenza infection rates
13following the school-based influenza vaccination program;

14(4)  the school-based influenza vaccination program's
15impact on student absenteeism rates; and

16(5)  the cost of establishing school-based vaccination
17programs for influenza vaccination across this Commonwealth.

18Section 3.  Effective date.

19This act shall take effect in 60 days.