135.146 - FIRST RESPONDER VACCINATION PROGRAM.
135.146 FIRST RESPONDER VACCINATION PROGRAM.
1. In the event that federal funding is received for
administering vaccinations for first responders, the department shall
offer a vaccination program for first responders who may be exposed
to infectious diseases when deployed to disaster locations. For
purposes of this section, "first responder" means state and local
law enforcement personnel, fire department personnel, and emergency
medical personnel who will be deployed to sites of bioterrorism
attacks, terrorist attacks, catastrophic or natural disasters, and
other disasters. The vaccinations shall include, but not be limited
to, vaccinations for hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, influenza, and
other vaccinations when recommended by the United States public
health service and in accordance with federal emergency management
agency policy. Immune globulin will be made available when
necessary.
2. Participation in the vaccination program shall be voluntary,
except for first responders who are classified as having occupational
exposure to blood-borne pathogens as defined by the occupational
safety and health administration standard contained in 29 C.F.R. §
1910.1030. First responders who are so classified shall be required
to receive the vaccinations as described in subsection 1. A first
responder shall be exempt from this requirement, however, when a
written statement from a licensed physician is presented indicating
that a vaccine is medically contraindicated for that person or the
first responder signs a written statement that the administration of
a vaccination conflicts with religious tenets.
3. The department shall establish first responder notification
procedures regarding the existence of the program by rule, and shall
develop, and distribute to first responders, educational materials on
methods of preventing exposure to infectious diseases. In
administering the program, the department may contract with county
and local health departments, not-for-profit home health care
agencies, hospitals, physicians, and military unit clinics. Section History: Recent Form
2004 Acts, ch 1012, §1, 2; 2005 Acts, ch 3, §31