House Bill hb0871c2

    Florida House of Representatives - 2002           CS/CS/HB 871

        By the Council for Healthy Communities and Committee on
    Colleges & Universities and Representatives Hogan and Waters





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to immunizations; creating s.

  3         381.0421, F.S.; requiring that individuals

  4         enrolled in a postsecondary educational

  5         institution be provided information regarding

  6         meningococcal meningitis, diphtheria, tetanus,

  7         and hepatitis B vaccines and, if residing in

  8         on-campus housing, provide documentation of

  9         vaccination against meningococcal meningitis,

10         diphtheria, tetanus, and hepatitis B, or a

11         statement declining such vaccination; providing

12         an effective date.

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14         WHEREAS, meningococcal meningitis is a serious disease

15  that can lead to death within a few hours of onset, and

16         WHEREAS, meningococcal meningitis is a highly

17  contagious but largely preventable infection of the

18  spinal-cord fluid and the fluid that surrounds the brain, and

19         WHEREAS, one in ten cases of meningococcal meningitis

20  is fatal, and

21         WHEREAS, one in seven survivors is left with a severe

22  handicap, such as loss of a limb, mental retardation,

23  paralysis, deafness, or seizures, and

24         WHEREAS, individuals of any age can carry the disease

25  for days, weeks, or months unknowingly or without becoming

26  ill, and

27         WHEREAS, at any time, from 10 to 25 percent of the

28  population carries meningococcal meningitis, and

29         WHEREAS, scientific evidence suggests that college

30  students living in dormitory facilities are six times more

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002           CS/CS/HB 871

    404-154A-02






  1  likely than other individuals to contract meningococcal

  2  meningitis, and

  3         WHEREAS, immunization against meningococcal meningitis

  4  will decrease the risk of contracting this disease, and

  5         WHEREAS, the Legislature urges that college freshmen

  6  residing in on-campus housing be vaccinated against

  7  meningococcal meningitis, and

  8         WHEREAS, it is recommended that all students be

  9  appropriately immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, and

10  hepatitis B, in accordance with the recommendations of the

11  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee

12  on Immunization Practices, NOW, THEREFORE,

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

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16         Section 1.  Section 381.0421, Florida Statutes, is

17  created to read:

18         381.0421  Vaccination against meningococcal meningitis,

19  diphtheria, tetanus, and hepatitis B.--

20         (1)  A postsecondary educational institution shall

21  provide detailed information concerning the risks associated

22  with meningococcal meningitis, diphtheria, tetanus, and

23  hepatitis B and the availability, effectiveness, and known

24  contraindications of any required or recommended vaccine

25  against those diseases to every student, or to the student's

26  parent or guardian if the student is a minor, who has been

27  accepted for admission.

28         (2)  An individual enrolled in a postsecondary

29  educational institution who will be residing in on-campus

30  housing shall provide documentation of vaccinations against

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2002           CS/CS/HB 871

    404-154A-02






  1  meningococcal meningitis, diphtheria, tetanus, and hepatitis

  2  B, unless:

  3         (a)  The individual is 18 years of age or older and

  4  declines the vaccinations, and the individual signs a waiver,

  5  provided by the institution, acknowledging receipt and review

  6  of the information provided; or

  7         (b)  The parent or guardian of an individual who is a

  8  minor declines the vaccinations, and the parent or guardian

  9  signs a waiver, provided by the institution, acknowledging

10  receipt and review of the information provided.

11         (3)  This section does not require any postsecondary

12  educational institution to provide or pay for vaccinations

13  against meningococcal meningitis, diphtheria, tetanus, and

14  hepatitis B.

15         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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