Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:31.13 – The office of public health, a public health unit, or both, or their agents or other providers may develop an immunization registry and an associated tracking and recall system. The
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:31.13
- Client: means any person registered with any Louisiana immunization tracking and recall system. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:31.12
- Early learning center: means a facility licensed as an early learning center under the provisions of the Early Learning Center Licensing Act, La. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:31.12
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Immunization record: means a client's medical record related to the client's receipt of immunizations. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:31.12
- Immunization registry: means any listing of clients and information relating to their immunization status. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:31.12
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Provider: means any health care provider or facility licensed to provide health care services in Louisiana, any managed health care system, health maintenance organization, health service contractor, or insurance carrier, or the Louisiana Medical Assistance Program. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:31.12
- Public health unit: means any facility acting under the supervision and advice of the state health officer and the office of public health, including any state-operated or contracted public health clinic. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:31.12
- School: means any institution or facility which provides for education of children in grades one or above, which shall include any kindergarten or prekindergarten attached thereto. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:31.12
- Tracking and recall system: means a system associated with an immunization registry designed to contact clients listed in the registry to assist in the completion of the immunization series in a timely manner. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:31.12
The office of public health, a public health unit, or both, or their agents or other providers may develop an immunization registry and an associated tracking and recall system. The developer of any system shall consult providers in developing the system to provide for a simple and efficient system of transferring information. The registry and associated tracking system shall be named the Louisiana Immunization Network (LINKS), and shall include but not be limited to the following:
(1) Immunization records of all clients born or living within the jurisdiction of the agency that develops the registry.
(2) A uniform method of tracking, updating, and recording immunization histories of registered clients.
(3) Procedures formulated in consultation with providers that will allow a provider to provide information to and obtain information from the immunization registry and immunization tracking and recall records without the consent of a client under eighteen years of age or the parent or guardian of such a client.
(4) Procedures that allow an immunization record of a client to be released to a client or the client’s parent, guardian, school, or early learning center.
(5) A method of notifying the client or parent or guardian of the client when the tracking and recall system indicates that a client is due to receive a scheduled immunization or when the client has missed a scheduled immunization.
(6) A procedure for sharing or transferring information with any other immunization registry and its associated tracking and recall systems within the state.
(7) A method for providing or publishing information in aggregate form that does not identify a client.
(8) Methods assuring that information contained in the immunization registry only be used to track and document immunization status, for other immunization program-related activities, and for associated public health research.
Acts 1995, No. 798, §1, eff. June 27, 1995; Acts 2019, No. 192, §§1, 2, eff. June 11, 2019; Acts 2022, No. 271, §4.