Relates to the statewide immunization information system and the administration of certain immunizations

Summary of provisions

Section 1 of the bill would amend Public Health Law (PHL) § 2168(2)(a) to include colleges, professional and technical schools, children's overnight camps and summer day camps, as "authorized users" of NYSIIS and the New York City Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR).

Section 2 of the bill would amend PHL § 2168(3)(a) to provide that individuals who are 19 years or older can consent to have their immunizations registered in NYSIIS and CIR verbally rather than in writing.

Section 3 of the bill would amend PHL § 2168(5)(f) to make a technical correction to a statutory reference relating to exemptions from immunizations.

Section 4 of the bill would amend PHL § 2168(8)(d) to permit colleges and professional and technical schools to access NYSIIS and CIR for the purpose of verifying immunization status for eligibility for admission and to allow access by children's overnight camps and summer day camps for verifying immunization status of children attending camp.

Section 5 of the bill would add new PHL § 2168(8)(e) to authorize institutes of higher education, medical research centers or similar institutions to access de-identified information in NYSIIS or CIR for the purpose of epidemiological or other public health research, if approved by the Commissioner of Health (Commissioner) or the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), as appropriate.

Section 6 of the bill would amend PHL § 2168(11) to permit patient specific information contained in NYSIIS or CIR to be shared with city registries and registries maintained by the Indian Health Service or tribal nations recognized by the State or the United States.

Justification

Easing the incorporation of adult immunization information into NYSIIS would help the program meet its overarching goal: the establishment of a fully-developed database of complete, accurate and secure immunization records. As a central repository for immunization records, NYSIIS - the statewide system which encompasses New York City's CIR - aids, coordinates and promotes cost-effective disease prevention and control efforts. NYSIIS tracks the immunizations a person has received, even if a patient sees multiple providers, helping DOH sustain high immunization rates and low disease

levels through the efficient management of information. Thus this bill would enhance the effectiveness of NYSIIS in several ways.

First, New York and the City University of New York, have health care providers who are "authorized users" of NYSIIS and CIR with respect to persons seeking or receiving a health care service from that provider. Post-secondary schools, however, are not otherwise currently "authorized users" of NYSIIS or CIR and therefore cannot use the database to efficiently assess the immunization status of their students. By permitting these institutions, as well as professional and technical schools and over night and summer camps, to access NYSIIS and CIR, they would more easily verify the immunization status of incoming students as required under PHL § 2165.

Second, immunizations of adults currently are recorded in NYSIIS only if an individual consents in writing. This bill would let them consent orally and would allow an adult, who is reluctant to sign a written document the opportunity to be included in NYSIIS, while maintaining his or her ability to refuse to give oral consent and still receive immunizations.

Third, the bill would permit de-identified NYSIIS data to be shared with academic institutions or similar entities conducting public health research. Such research is expected to include analysis of trends and patterns of immunization, which would help identify populations at risk and disparities among immunization coverage levels, and would give DOH access to expertise in data analysis, research and evaluation that might otherwise be unavailable. Institutions would be required to seek approval for such access, which would be granted for the NYSIIS database only in the discretion of DOH or, for CIR, in the discretion of DOHMH.

Fourth, PHL § 2168 currently permits NYSIIS to share immunization information with "other state" registries pursuant to written agreements requiring such other registries to adhere to national standards protecting the integrity of the information. This bill would permit NYSIIS similarly to share registrant-specific information, including lead test records, with registries maintained by cities, the Indian Health Service and tribal nations recognized by the State or the United States, enhancing their ability to verify immunizations among their populations while increasing the amount of immunization information available in NYSIIS.

Legislative history

This is a new bill.

Fiscal implications

This bill is not anticipated to have a fiscal impact on the State.

Effective date

Immediately.