| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the influenza vaccine; amending ss. |
| 3 | 402.305, 402.313, and 402.3131, F.S.; requiring child care |
| 4 | facilities, family day care homes, and large family child |
| 5 | care homes to provide parents with certain information |
| 6 | regarding the causes, symptoms, and transmission of the |
| 7 | influenza virus; providing an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | WHEREAS, the State of Florida recognizes the importance of |
| 10 | the influenza vaccine for children enrolled or enrolling in |
| 11 | child care programs, and |
| 12 | WHEREAS, the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of |
| 13 | Immunization, acknowledges that vaccines, including the |
| 14 | influenza vaccine, focus on disease prevention and are the most |
| 15 | cost-effective medical intervention, and |
| 16 | WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, |
| 17 | through the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, |
| 18 | recommends that annual vaccination of all children aged 6 months |
| 19 | through 59 months continue to be a primary focus of vaccination |
| 20 | efforts because these children are at higher risk for influenza |
| 21 | complications compared with older children, and |
| 22 | WHEREAS, vaccination against influenza each fall and winter |
| 23 | remains the primary mechanism to prevent disease, NOW, |
| 24 | THEREFORE, |
| 25 |
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| 26 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 27 |
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| 28 | Section 1. Present paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection |
| 29 | (9) of section 402.305, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as |
| 30 | paragraphs (c) and (d), respectively, and a new paragraph (b) is |
| 31 | added to that subsection to read: |
| 32 | 402.305 Licensing standards; child care facilities.-- |
| 33 | (9) ADMISSIONS AND RECORDKEEPING.-- |
| 34 | (b) During the months of August and September of each |
| 35 | year, each child care facility shall provide parents of children |
| 36 | enrolled in the facility detailed information regarding the |
| 37 | causes, symptoms, and transmission of the influenza virus in an |
| 38 | effort to educate those parents regarding the importance of |
| 39 | immunizing their children against influenza as recommended by |
| 40 | the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers |
| 41 | for Disease Control and Prevention. |
| 42 | Section 2. Subsection (14) is added to section 402.313, |
| 43 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 44 | 402.313 Family day care homes.-- |
| 45 | (14) During the months of August and September of each |
| 46 | year, each family day care home shall provide parents of |
| 47 | children enrolled in the home detailed information regarding the |
| 48 | causes, symptoms, and transmission of the influenza virus in an |
| 49 | effort to educate those parents regarding the importance of |
| 50 | immunizing their children against influenza as recommended by |
| 51 | the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers |
| 52 | for Disease Control and Prevention. |
| 53 | Section 3. Subsection (9) is added to section 402.3131, |
| 54 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 55 | 402.3131 Large family child care homes.-- |
| 56 | (9) During the months of August and September of each |
| 57 | year, each large family child care home shall provide parents of |
| 58 | children enrolled in the home detailed information regarding the |
| 59 | causes, symptoms, and transmission of the influenza virus in an |
| 60 | effort to educate those parents regarding the importance of |
| 61 | immunizing their children against influenza as recommended by |
| 62 | the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers |
| 63 | for Disease Control and Prevention. |
| 64 | Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |