1. There is hereby established in the department of health and senior services an “Advisory Committee on Childhood Immunization”. The advisory committee shall be comprised of a physician who is board-certified in pediatrics, a physician who is board-certified in family practice, one nurse who is active in the delivery of nursing services in public schools, one nurse who is active in the delivery of community health nursing services in a local health department, the director of the department of health and senior services or his designee, the chief of the office of minority health and the chief of the office of rural health in the department of health and senior services, and a representative from each of the regions listed in subdivisions (1) to (7) of this subsection, the boundaries of which shall be determined by the director of the department of health and senior services:

(1) Greater St. Louis area;

(2) Southeast;

(3) Northeast;

(4) Central;

(5) Southwest;

(6) Northwest; and

(7) Greater Kansas City area.

2. Each representative from the various regions listed in subdivisions (1) to (7) of subsection 1 of this section shall organize, publicize, and participate in at least one public meeting within that region which is designed to gather information regarding childhood immunization in that region. The costs of holding such meetings shall be paid by the department of health and senior services using funds appropriated to the department for that purpose.

3. The members of the committee, other than the ex officio members, shall be appointed by the director of the department of health and senior services and shall serve for three-year terms. Members shall serve on the^* committee without compensation but may be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses from moneys appropriated to the department of health and senior services for that purpose. The advisory committee shall:

(1) Identify existing immunization record-keeping systems and their suitability for inclusion in a comprehensive monitoring system, computerized and linked to regional, state or federal systems;

(2) Determine how demographic and immunization data on all children under the age of five years shall be obtained and entered into the computer system and how it shall be kept up to date;

(3) Determine how the data collected on immunizations shall be analyzed and communicated to parents, health care providers, and public officials while maintaining the confidentially of patient records;

(4) Develop plans for increasing the rate of childhood immunization in this state, giving due consideration to factors related to cultural differences among the various population groups in this state.