The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall
have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise.
(1) Child--An individual younger than 18 years of age
to whom a vaccine has been administered.
(2) Consent--A statement signed by an individual or
the individual's legally authorized representative agreeing that the
individual's immunization history can be included in the immunization
registry and that the individual's immunization record may be released
from the immunization registry.
(3) Data elements--The information:
(A) consistent with 42 U.S.C., §300aa-25, as amended,
defined as the information a provider who administers a vaccine is
required to record in a medical record, including:
(i) the date the vaccine is administered;
(ii) the type of vaccine administered, vaccine manufacturer
and lot number;
(iii) the name, address, and if appropriate, the title
of the provider administering the vaccine; and
(iv) any adverse or unexpected events for a vaccine;
and
(B) relating to an immunization, antiviral, and/or
other medication administered to prepare for a potential disaster,
public health emergency, terrorist attack, hostile military or paramilitary
action, or extraordinary law enforcement emergency or in response
to a declared disaster, public health emergency, terrorist attack,
hostile military or paramilitary action, or extraordinary law enforcement
emergency.
(4) Department--The Department of State Health Services.
(5) Extraordinary Law Enforcement Emergency--Within
the context of a public health emergency, a situation which requires
extra staffing, overtime and/or extra-jurisdictional law enforcement
forces.
(6) First Responder--As defined by Texas Health and
Safety Code, §161.0001.
(7) Health information exchange--A health information
exchange organization as defined by Texas Health and Safety Code, §182.151.
(8) Hostile Military or Paramilitary Act--An attack
or other use of force by an armed force of a nation or an organized
unofficial group, against forces, property and/or infrastructure of
the United States, state or local government.
(9) Immediate family member--The parent, spouse, child,
or sibling of an individual who resides in the same household as the
individual.
(10) Immunization history--An accounting of all vaccines
that an individual has received, or evidence of immunity, and other
identifying information.
(11) Immunization record--A record containing the name
and date of birth of the individual to whom a vaccine was administered;
dates of vaccine administration; types of vaccine administered; and
name and address of the provider that administered the vaccines; or
other evidence of immunity to a vaccine-preventable disease.
(12) Immunization registry--The database or single
repository that contains immunization histories, which include necessary
personal data for identification. This database is confidential, and
access to content is limited to authorized users.
(13) Individual--A child, or an adult 18 years of age
or older, to whom a vaccine has been administered.
(14) Individual's legally authorized representative--As
defined by Texas Health and Safety Code, §161.0001.
(15) Payor--An insurance company, a health maintenance
organization, or another organization that pays a health care provider
to provide health care benefits, including the administration of vaccines
to an individual.
(16) Potential disaster--An incident or event capable
of causing widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or
property resulting from any natural or man-made cause, including fire,
flood, earthquake, wind, storm, wave action, oil spill or other water
contamination, volcanic activity, epidemic, air contamination, blight,
drought, infestation, explosion, riot, hostile military or paramilitary
action, or other public calamity requiring emergency action, or energy
emergency.
(17) Provider--Any physician, health care professional,
or facility personnel duly licensed or authorized to administer vaccines.
(18) Public health emergency--An occurrence or imminent
threat of an illness or health condition, caused by bioterrorism,
epidemic or pandemic disease, or novel and highly fatal infectious
agent or biological toxin, that poses a substantial risk of a significant
number of human fatalities or incidents of permanent or long-term
disability. Such illness or health condition includes, but is not
limited to, an illness or health condition resulting from a natural
disaster.
(19) Terrorist attack--An activity that is dangerous
to human life and/or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure
or key resources and is intended to intimidate or coerce the civilian
population, or influence or affect the conduct of a government by
mass destruction, assassination, and/or kidnapping.
(20) User--An entity or person authorized by the department
to access immunization registry data.
(21) Vaccine--Includes toxoids and other immunologic
agents which are administered to an individual to elicit an immune
response (immunization) and thus protect against infectious diseases.
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