| (a) |
"Childcare
facility" means any public or private day center or nursery intended for the
care, supervision, or instruction of children, including pre-kindergarten
programs; |
| (b) |
"County Board of
Health" means a county board of health organized pursuant to O.C.G.A. Section
31-3-1et
seq.; |
| (c) |
"Department"
means the Georgia Department of Public Health; |
| (d) |
"Epidemic" means an outbreak, or rise in
incidence rate, or spread of incidence of a contagious or infectious disease so
as to constitute a clear and present risk of infection to the public at large
or to congregated groups thereof; |
| (e) |
"Physician" means a practitioner of the
healing arts licensed in accord with O.C.G.A. Section
43-34-20et seq.
or the equivalent laws of the practitioner's jurisdiction if outside
Georgia; |
| (f) |
"School" means any
public or private educational program or institution instructing children at
any level or levels, kindergarten through twelfth grade, or children of ages
five through nineteen if grade divisions are not used; |
| (g) |
"Tdap vaccine" means a single vaccine
that protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. |
| (a) |
Except as otherwise provided,
immunization against the following diseases shall be required of all children
entering a school or childcare facility operating in the state:
| (2) |
Haemophilus influenzae type B (not
required on or after the fifth birthday); |
| (9) |
Pneumococcal disease (not required on or
after the fifth birthday); |
| (11) |
Rubella (German
measles); |
| (13) |
Varicella
(chickenpox). |
|
| (b) |
A
parent or guardian must submit a valid Certificate of Immunization for any
child entering a school or childcare facility in the state of Georgia for the
first time. |
| (c) |
School or childcare
facility officials may allow a child without a valid certificate of
immunization to attend for no more than 90 calendar days after the first day of
attendance, provided that the parent or legal guardian either shows that that
the child is in the process of completing required immunizations and that
immunizations are being scheduled with the shortest intervals recommended in
the current Official Immunization Schedules, or presents an affidavit of
religious objection as provided in DPH Rule
. |
| (d) |
Effective July 1, 2014, for entrance into
Georgia school grades kindergarten through twelve, students must have a total
of two doses of measles vaccine, two doses of mumps vaccine, one dose of
rubella vaccine and a total of two doses of varicella vaccine. |
| (e) |
Children attending any childcare facility
must show evidence of protection against pneumococcal disease. |
| (f) |
Children born on or after January 1, 2006
who are attending any childcare facility or school must have proof of
protection against hepatitis A disease (vaccination or serology). |
| (g) |
Requirements for hepatitis A, hepatitis
B, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccines may be waived with serologic
proof of immunity. Requirements for varicella vaccine may be waived also with a
healthcare provider diagnosis of varicella disease or healthcare provider
verification of history of varicella disease. |
| (h) |
Effective July 1, 2014, children born on
or after January 1, 2002 who are attending seventh grade, and children who are
new entrants into a Georgia school in grades eight through twelve, must have
received one dose of Tdap vaccine. |
| (i) |
Effective July 1, 2014, children born on
or after January 1, 2002 who are attending seventh grade, and children who are
new entrants into a Georgia school in grades eight through twelve, must have
received one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine. |
| (j) |
Effective July 1, 2021, children sixteen
years of age and older who are attending eleventh grade must receive a booster
dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine, unless their initial dose was
administered on or after their sixteenth birthday. |
| (1) |
An immunization regimen equivalent to the
current immunization schedule developed by the Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices (ACIP), adopted by the Department and published in the
official state immunization program manual, shall be deemed the minimum regimen
of immunization which satisfies the requirements of this Chapter. Immunization
certified by County Boards of Health shall be accomplished in accord with the
departmental immunization schedule. |
| (2) |
Any other immunization schedule which
includes the immunizations itemized in Rule
, Immunizations Required,
and equals or exceeds the minimum requirements of the Departmental Immunization
Schedule shall be deemed to satisfy the requirement for issuance of a
Certificate of Immunization. |
| (3) |
Copies of the Departmental Immunization Schedule may be obtained from the
Department or County Board of Health. |
| (1) |
A Certificate of Immunization may be
issued by a physician, physician's assistant, advanced practice registered
nurse, or qualified employee of a County Board of Health or the State
Immunization Program, on a form provided by or approved by the Department, for
any person that has been vaccinated against a specific disease in compliance
with this Chapter. |
| (2) |
A
Certificate of Immunization may be issued for a child who has not received all
required immunizations with the conditions that the child is in the process of
completing required immunizations and that immunizations are being scheduled
with the shortest intervals recommended in the current Official Immunization
Schedules. Such a certificate must be retained and monitored for currency by
the school or childcare facility while the child continues in attendance and
must be made available for inspection during normal business hours by
authorized officials of the Department or County Board of Health. |
| (3) |
A certificate for a child who is in the
process of receiving all required vaccines must show a date of expiration,
which shall be the date on which the next required immunization is due or the
date on which a medical exemption must be reviewed. A new certificate must then
be obtained and submitted to the school or childcare facility within thirty
days after the expiration date.
Children whose parents fail to renew said certificates within
the time allotted shall not be permitted to continue in attendance.
|
| (4) |
If a child transfers to
another school or childcare facility, then the certificate of immunization
shall be transferred to the new school or childcare facility. If a child ceases
to attend without transfer, then the certificate shall be returned to the
parent or guardian. |
If a child has a physical disability, condition, or
physiological idiosyncrasy which might cause a specific immunization to
endanger life or health, then a physician may issue a Certificate of
Immunization indicating "medical exemption." A Certificate of Immunization
indicating medical exemption shall be valid for one year, and may be reissued
from year to year until the physician determines that immunization or a
specific immunization may finally be accomplished without danger to the child's
health.
A County Board of Health or physician may issue a Certificate
of Immunization as provided by Rule
upon receiving written
proof attested to by a physician licensed by Georgia, a physician licensed in
another state, or an authorized representative of a public health authority of
another state or nation, that all required immunizations have been accomplished
for the child. Such proof shall indicate each vaccine type administered and the
date of each dose. A County Board of Health or physician may issue a
Certificate of Immunization indicating medical exemption as provided by Rule
upon receiving written
proof attested to by a physician licensed by Georgia or another state that the
child has a physical disability, condition, or physiological idiosyncrasy which
might cause a specific immunization to endanger life or
health.
| (a) |
Except as provided in subsection (b)
below, a child shall be exempt from the required immunizations if the parent or
legal guardian has filed with the school or childcare facility a completed
affidavit on DPH Form 2208. |
| (b) |
When the Department or a County Board of Health determines that an epidemic or
the threat of an epidemic exists, the Department or Board shall immediately
notify the governing authorities of all schools and childcare facilities within
the affected area. Under those circumstances, the Department or Board may
require immunization for those who object on the grounds of religious beliefs,
and may prohibit attendance at schools or childcare facilities within the area
by unimmunized children. |
| (c) |
Persons who wish to register a religious objection to the vaccination of their
child shall do so using the following DPH Form 2208:
AFFIDAVIT OF RELIGIOUS OBJECTION TO IMMUNIZATION
[Name of parent or legal guardian] personally appeared before
the undersigned notary public and swore or affirmed as follows:
| 1. |
I am the parent or legal guardian of [name
of minor child], born on [date of birth]. |
| 2. |
I understand that the Georgia Department
of Public Health requires children to obtain vaccinations against the following
diseases before being admitted to a childcare facility or school: diphtheria;
haemophilus influenzae type B (not required on or after the fifth birthday);
hepatitis A; hepatitis B; measles; meningitis; mumps; pertussis (whooping
cough); pneumococcal disease (not required on or after the fifth birthday);
poliomyelitis; rubella (German measles); tetanus; and varicella
(chickenpox). |
| 3. |
I understand that
the Georgia Department of Public Health has determined:
| a. |
that the required vaccinations are
necessary to prevent the spread of dangerous diseases among the children and
people of this State; |
| b. |
that the
required vaccinations are safe; |
| c. |
that a child who does not receive the required vaccinations is at risk of
contracting those diseases; and |
| d. |
that a child who does not receive the required vaccinations is at risk of
spreading these diseases to me, to other children in the childcare facility or
school, and to other persons. |
|
| 4. |
I sincerely affirm that vaccination is
contrary to my religious beliefs, and that my objections to vaccination are not
based solely on grounds of personal philosophy or inconvenience. |
| 5. |
I understand that, notwithstanding my
religious objections, my child may be excluded from childcare facilities or
schools during an epidemic or threatened epidemic of any disease preventable by
a vaccination required by the Georgia Department of Public Health, and that my
child may be required to receive a vaccination in the event that such a disease
is in epidemic stages, as provided in Georgia Code Section
31-12-3 and DPH Rule
.
This ____ day of ____________, ________.
___________________________________
Parent or Legal Guardian
Sworn and subscribed before me this ___ day of
________________, ______.
___________________________________
Notary Public
My commission expires _______________.
|
|
