64D-3.046. Immunization Requirements: Public and Nonpublic Schools, Grades Preschool, Kindergarten Through 12, and Adult Education Classes

(1) Immunizations required for school attendance shall be available free of charge from county health departments subject to the availability of state funding to cover the costs of vaccine and administration of the vaccine. If state funding is not available to cover the cost of vaccine and administration of vaccine, children who are covered by health insurance are not eligible to receive immunizations from county health departments.

(2) Immunization and Documentation Requirements for School Entry/Attendance:

(a) A student may attend a public or non-public school, grades preschool through 12 or an adult education class if younger than 21, if prior to admittance, attendance or transfer, they present one of the following for inspection for validity by an authorized school official:

1. DH Form 680, Florida Certification of Immunization (July 2010), incorporated by reference, available from Department of Health (DOH) county health departments (CHDs) or physicians’ offices, or online at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-02410; or

2. DH Form 681, Religious Exemptions for Immunizations (English/Spanish/Haitian-Creole) (July 2008), incorporated by reference, available at DOH CHDs, must be signed by the local county health department medical director or designee. The form is available online at: http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-02341.

(b) Specific immunization requirements by grade which must be documented prior to admittance, attendance or any other initial entrance are detailed in the Immunization Guidelines-Florida Schools, Childcare Facilities and Family Daycare Homes DH Form 150-615 (March 2013), incorporated by reference, available online at: www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctr/immune/schoolguide.pdf or http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-02342.

1. Temporary or permanent medical exemption DH Form 680 must be signed by a practitioner licensed under Chapter 458 or 459, F.S., or their authorized representative. For temporary or permanent medical exemption the signing practitioner must possess medical records documenting the medical basis for each such exemption.

2. A DH Form 680 that does not include a temporary or permanent medical exemption must be signed by a practitioner licensed under Chapter 458, 459, 460, or 464, F.S.

3. Florida SHOTS (State Health Online Tracking System) Electronically Certified DH Form 680 accessed directly by the school is considered certified in writing and signed by the Florida SHOTS private provider.

(3) Documentation Requirements for Schools:

(a) The original or a copy of a valid original of the form(s) required under this rule shall remain in the student’s cumulative health record unless verified in Florida SHOTS.

(b) Antigen doses by dates of immunization shall be transferred as data elements through the Florida Automated System for Transferring Education Records (FASTER).

(c) Compliance Reporting:

1. Each public and nonpublic school with a kindergarten and/or seventh grade shall submit an annual compliance report. The report shall be completed on DH Form 684, Immunization Annual Report of Compliance for Kindergarten and Seventh Grade (July 2010), incorporated by reference, available at DOH CHDs. The report shall include the immunization status of all children who were attending kindergarten and seventh grades at the beginning of the school year. The report shall be forwarded to the CHD director/administrator no later than October 1 of each school year where the data will be compiled on DH Form 685, Kindergarten and Seventh Grade Annual Report of Compliance County Summary (July 2010), incorporated by reference, available at DOH CHDs; or electronically generated by the Department of Education.

2. After consultation with the Department of Education, the Department of Health shall require compliance reports from public and nonpublic schools and preschools for selected grades (K-12 and preschool) in special situations of vaccine preventable disease outbreak control or identified need for monitoring through surveys for immunization compliance levels. Such reports shall include the status of all children who were attending school at the beginning of the school year. Reports shall be forwarded to the CHD director/administrator within a specified period, as determined by the DOH.

(4) Homeless, Transfers and Juvenile Justice – A temporary exemption to requirements of subsection (1) above not to exceed 30 days may be issued by an authorized school official for any of the following, consistent with the definitions in Section 1003.01, F.S.:

(a) A homeless child.

(b) A transfer student.

(c) A student who enters a juvenile justice education program or school.

(d) Children of military families as defined under Section 1000.36, F.S.

(5) Notwithstanding subsection (3), the Department may:

(a) Designate any required immunization as unnecessary or hazardous, according to recognized standards of medical practice.

(b) Upon determination that a shortage of vaccine exists, approve issuance of temporary medical exemption with extended expiration dates by practitioners or authorized school officials until such time as, in the DOH’s opinion, vaccine will be available in sufficient quantity for such deferred vaccinations to be completed.

(6) Florida SHOTS (State Health Online Tracking System) Opt Out Provision – Parents or guardians may elect to decline participation in the Florida immunization registry, Florida SHOTS, by submitting a Florida SHOTS Notification and Opt Out Form to the DOH. The form, either a DH Form 1478 (English) (January 2007) or DH Form 1478S (Spanish) (September 2003) or DH Form 1478H (Haitian-Creole) (January 2006), incorporated by reference, is available from the DOH, Bureau of Immunization, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #A-11, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1719. The immunization records of children whose parents choose to opt-out will not be shared with other entities that are allowed by law to have access to the children’s immunization record via authorized access to Florida SHOTS.

(7) Florida SHOTS Private Provider Participation – Any health care practitioner licensed in Florida under Chapter 458, 459 or 464, F.S., may request authorization to access Florida SHOTS by filling out a DH Form 1479, Authorized Private Provider User Agreement for Access to Florida SHOTS (January 2007), incorporated by reference, available from the DOH Bureau of Immunization, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #A-11, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1719. The DH Form 1479 will be returned to the Department of Health for processing and authorization to access Florida SHOTS. Notification of access approval and instructions for accessing Florida SHOTS will be provided by the DOH. The authorized user and the applicable licensing authority or agency shall notify the DOH, Bureau of Immunization Florida SHOTS personnel when an authorized user’s license or registration has expired or has been suspended or revoked.

(8) Florida SHOTS School and Licensed or Registered Child Care Facility Participation – Any public or nonpublic school, or licensed or registered child care facility may request authorization to access Florida SHOTS by completing a DH Form 2115, Authorized School and Licensed or Registered Child Care Facility User Agreement for Access to Florida SHOTS (January 2007), incorporated by reference, available from the DOH, Bureau of Immunization, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #A-11, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1719. The DH Form 2115 will be returned to the DOH for processing and authorization to access Florida SHOTS. Notification of access approval and instructions for accessing Florida SHOTS will be provided by the DOH. The authorized user and the applicable licensing authority or agency shall notify the DOH, Bureau of Immunization Florida SHOTS personnel when an authorized user’s license or registration has expired or has been suspended or revoked.

Rulemaking Authority 381.003(1), (2), 381.005(3), 1003.22 FS. Law Implemented 381.003(1), 381.005(1)(i), 1003.22 FS. History–New 11-20-06, Amended 7-15-07, 7-28-08, 12-29-10, 12-29-11, 4-2-13.