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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to immunizations; requiring the Department

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of Health to adopt an update to specified immunization

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requirements before the 2008-2009 school year; providing

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an effective date.

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     WHEREAS, the State of Florida recognizes the importance of

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the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine for

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children enrolled in public or private school in this state, and

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     WHEREAS, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of

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the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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recommended in June 2005 that adolescents 11 and 12 years of age

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be administered Tdap in place of the tetanus-diphtheria (Td)

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booster typically given to adolescents, and

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     WHEREAS, pertussis can be very severe in infants and

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children; therefore, it is important that parents timely

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vaccinate their children to prevent this serious and life-

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threatening disease, and

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     WHEREAS, the number of reported cases of pertussis increased

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throughout the 1990s and continue to increase, and

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     WHEREAS, pertussis is the only disease preventable by the

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timely administration of a vaccine for which the number of cases

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is still rising in the United States, and

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     WHEREAS, cases of pertussis were reduced by more than 90

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percent following introduction of the diphtheria-tetanus-

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pertussis (DTP) vaccine in the 1940s; however, reported pertussis

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cases have increased from a low of 1,024 cases in 1976 to a 40-

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year high of 25,827 cases in 2004, NOW, THEREFORE,

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

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     Section 1. The Department of Health shall, before the

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commencement of the 2008-2009 school year, adopt an update to its

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immunization requirements per rule 64D-3.046 to replace the 7th

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grade tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster with the tetanus-

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diphtheria-pertussis vaccine (Tdap) in accordance with the

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recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization

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Practices of the United States Centers for Disease Control and

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Prevention.

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     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.