ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
care facilities;
immunizations
Requires nursing care institutions and assisted living facilities make influenza and pneumonia vaccinations available to residents on-site each year.
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 45,000 people die each year from
influenza and pneumonia, the sixth leading cause of death in the United
States. Of these deaths, 90 percent are
among people 65 years of age or over.
In 1997, among people age 65 and over, 65.5 percent reported receiving
influenza vaccine and 45.4 percent reported ever receiving pneumococcal
vaccine. In Arizona, those vaccination
rates were higher with 72.9 percent reported receiving influenza vaccine, and
59.4 percent reported ever receiving pneumococcal vaccine.
Research by the CDC
indicates that the effectiveness of vaccines depend primarily on the patient’s
age and immunocompetence and the degree of similarity between the virus strains
in the vaccine and those in circulation.
Among elderly persons living outside nursing homes or long term care
facilities, vaccines against influenza and pneumonia are 30 to 70 percent
effective in preventing hospitalization for pneumonia and influenza. Additionally, for residents of nursing care
homes, vaccines against influenza and pneumonia are 50 to 60 percent effective
in preventing hospitalization and 80 percent effective in preventing death.
S.B. 1322 attempts to increase the influenza and pneumonia vaccination rates among the elderly by requiring nursing care institutions and assisted living facilities make vaccinations for influenza and pneumonia available to residents on-site annually.
According to the Arizona Association of Homes and Housing for the Aging, nursing care institutions and assisted living facilities may experience a cost relating to the responsibility of administering and documenting vaccinations on-site; however, the fiscal impact is unknown.
1. Requires, as a condition of licensure, that nursing care institutions and assisted living facilities make vaccinations for influenza and pneumonia available to residents on-site annually.
2. Requires the Department of Health Services to prescribe the manner for documenting compliance with the vaccination requirement, including refusals.
3. Makes technical changes.
4. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
January 27, 2000