BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2009
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Date of Hearing: May 2, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2009 (Galgiani) - As Amended: April 16, 2012
Policy Committee: HealthVote:18-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
As proposed to be amended, this bill removes the designation of
priority population for free flu vaccine distributed by the
California Department of Public Health (CDPH) from individuals
60 and older, and instead requires CDPH to provide guidance
indicating whether one or more populations groups should be
prioritized for flu vaccine.
Amendments simplify language describing CDPH's issuance of
guidance to define priority populations, and clarify that the
guidance is exempt from the Administrative Procedures Act.
FISCAL EFFECT
Negligible state costs.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . The author states that the priority for free flu
vaccine given to seniors in current law is outdated and
prevents the efficient distribution to all high-risk groups.
In particular, she indicates that children are the most
vulnerable to catching the flu, and they are also the ones who
suffer the most from it. This bill would update current law
to allow the state public health department to identify
high-risk groups that are priority populations.
2)Flu and Flu Vaccine . Currently, the state provides about $7
million GF worth of flu vaccine to local health jurisdictions.
CDPH currently allocates state-purchased influenza vaccine to
local health departments based on population and prior annual
vaccine usage reported to CDPH. Local health departments and
AB 2009
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private, non-profit entities further distribute or directly
administer the vaccines.
Federal, state, and local public health entities issue and
publicize recommendations about who should be vaccinated for
flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone six months of age
and older, and indicates that vaccination of high-risk persons
is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu
illness. According to the CDC, high-risk groups currently
include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic
health conditions like asthma, diabetes, or heart and lung
disease, and people 65 years and older. Vaccination also is
important for health care workers, and other people who live
with or care for high-risk people.
3)Priority for persons 60 years of age and older no longer
aligns with CDC recommendations. However, to comply with the
law, local health departments currently take various measures
to prioritize persons 60 years and older for flu vaccine,
including holding clinics only for them, reserving the initial
hours of a clinic for them, or providing prioritized service
such as an 'express lane'. CDPH indicates that between 1974
(the time the priority was enacted) and now, the federal
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that
advises CDC has revised its recommendations and no longer
prioritizes influenza immunization only to older persons.
Instead, ACIP currently recommends annual immunization to all
persons age 6 months and older.
4)Access to Flu Vaccine . A number of federal, state, and local
programs exist to encourage access to flu vaccine. For
example, the federal Vaccines for Children Program is a
federal program, administered by CDPH, that provides vaccines
at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated
because of inability to pay. Federal law requires commercial
health care plans to cover preventative services, including
vaccinations, with no cost-sharing. Many county health
departments also provide free or low-cost flu vaccines,
including those provided by the state through the free vaccine
program addressed by this bill. Fiscal pressure on county
health departments has reduced the robustness of county
vaccination programs in recent years.
AB 2009
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Analysis Prepared by : Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081