Directs schools to provide information on meningococcal disease immunization to students and parents of students in seventh grade

Summary of provisions

Consistent with the requirement in current law that boarding schools, colleges and overnight summer camps, distribute written information about meningococcal meningitis and meningitis immunization to all students attending the institution, this legislation would require that the same information be distributed to all students entering the seventh grade. The information that is currently provided, and would be required to be disseminated to all seventh graders, includes: 1) a description of the disease and means of transmission; 2) the benefits, risks and effectiveness of immunization; and 3) the availability and cost of immunization. Additionally, current law requires that the student, parent or guardian, indicate whether the student has received the meningitis vaccination or whether the student has chosen not to receive the immunization. This legislation would clarify that all seventh graders would be required to provide same information to the school. Notably, each school must maintain a record of the students' responses, but is not required to maintain the actual response form.

This bill would not prohibit schools from adopting or maintaining more stringent policies regarding immunization against meningococcal meningitis.

Justification

Meningococcal meningitis is an air-borne disease, transmitted through droplets of respiratory secretions and from direct contact with persons infected with the disease. This serious disease-can lead to death with-in only a few hours. Survivors may be left with a severe disability such as loss of limb, cognitive deficits, paralysis, deafness, or seizures. Notably, meningitis can be hard to detect because of its flu-like symptoms -- severe headache, high fever, nausea, vomiting and drowsiness. Some of the distinct symptoms of meningitis are a stiff neck or back, confusion or agitation and rashes. These symptoms, however, do not necessarily occur and the disease can get worse very quickly, sometimes in the matter of hours, if not treated with antibiotics. Meningococcal outbreaks can cause severe disruption of classes, school life, and alarm among students and faculty. The Center for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that in adolescents ages 16 through 21 years have the highest rates of meningococcal disease. As a result, in order to reduce the risk of adolescents becoming infected, the CDC recommends a younger cohort of adolescents (typically seventh graders) should be vaccinated with meningococcal conjugate vaccine.

This bill simply requires that educational materials regarding the meningococcal vaccine be made available to seventh graders, and that the student or parent then inform the school whether the student has opted to received the meningitis vaccination. A basic record is important to be maintained in the event that there is a confirm case of meningococcal disease, individuals who have not been vaccinated may be notified of the confirmed case as soon as possible. Due to the devastation that the disease could cause, this legislation is an important public health policy that would improve education regarding this disease, but still provide parents and students with the opportunity to make a determination of whether to obtain the vaccine.

Legislative history

New 2012: S.5069-D died in Finance 2011: S.5069-A died on Senate Calendar

Fiscal implications

This bill will have no fiscal impact. Notably, the Department of Health has already created the template form and educational materials to meet the requirement of the 2003 statute. If enacted, this bill would only require minor modifications to those documents.

Effective date

This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.