INFLUENZA VACCINE STRATEGIC PLAN

House Bill 4172

Sponsor:  Rep. Robert Jones

Committee:  Health Policy

Complete to 11-9-09

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4172 AS INTRODUCED 2-5-09

The bill would add a new section to the Public Health Code (333.21529) to require each hospital, beginning October 1, 2009, to establish a strategic plan for managing its supply of the influenza vaccine.  The plan would have to be consistent with guidelines or recommendations issued by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC.

During the flu season (defined to mean the period between October 1 and March 1), if the hospital has the influenza vaccine available and the supply is consistent with the hospital’s strategic plan, the following would apply:

·                    The hospital would have to inform each person 65 years or older who is admitted for a period of 24 hours or more that the flu vaccine is available and offer to provide the vaccine to those persons for whom the vaccine is not contraindicative.

·                    Upon determination that there is not a relative or absolute contraindication to giving the person the vaccine, the vaccine must be given to a consenting person before discharge.  The medical professional listed in the bill authorized to make such a determination would have to administer the vaccination and document it in the patient’s medical record.  The documentation could be in the form of a written note indicating that the patient had received the vaccine on a previous occasion, received the vaccine, refused the vaccine, or that the vaccine had not been given because a contraindication made it unadvisable to administer it.

This new section would be repealed April 1, 2012.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Under House Bill 4172, as introduced, public hospitals would incur some local and state costs in establishing and implementing a strategic plan for managing the supply of the influenza vaccine for persons 65 years of age or older admitted to the hospital for a period of 24 hours or more.  As of June 16, 2009, there were 14 Michigan public hospitals. 

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   Susan Stutzky

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Margaret Alston

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.