36-135

36-135. Child immunization reporting system; requirements; access; confidentiality; immunity; violation; classification

A. The child immunization reporting system is established in the department to collect, store, analyze, release and report immunization data.

B. Beginning on January 1, 1998, a health care professional who is licensed under title 32 to provide immunizations, except as provided in subsection I, shall report the following information:

1. The health care professional's name, business address and business telephone number.

2. The child's name, address, social security number if known and not confidential, gender, date of birth and mother's maiden name.

3. The type of vaccine administered and the date it is administered.

C. The health care professional may submit this information to the department on a weekly or monthly basis by telephone, facsimile, mail, computer or any other method prescribed by the department.

D. Except as provided in subsection I, the department shall release identifying information only to the person's health care professional, parent or guardian, health care services organization, the Arizona health care cost containment system and its providers as defined in chapter 29 of this title, or a school official who is authorized by law to receive and record immunization records. The department, by rule, may release immunization information to persons for a specified purpose. The department may release nonidentifying summary statistics.

E. Identifying information in the system is confidential. A person who is authorized to receive confidential information under subsection D shall not disclose this information to any other person.

F. A health care professional who provides information in good faith pursuant to this section is not subject to civil or criminal liability.

G. A health care professional who does not comply with the requirements of this section violates a law applicable to the practice of medicine and commits an act of unprofessional conduct.

H. Any agency or person receiving confidential information from the system who subsequently discloses that information to any other person is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor.

I. At the request of the person, or if the person is a child the child's parent or guardian, the department of health services shall provide a form to be signed that allows confidential immunization information to be withheld from all persons including persons authorized to receive confidential information pursuant to subsection D. If the request is delivered to the health care professional prior to the immunization, the health care professional shall not forward the information required under subsection B to the department.