Idaho bill that would require children to opt in to vaccine registry heads to House floor

Susan Hinchcliffe, a volunteer with the Corrales Fire Department, gives Rachel Ralya’s 14-month old son a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on June 23, 2022, following the FDA authorization of the vaccine for children ages 6 months to 5 years old. (Shelby Wyatt/Source NM)

Idaho legislators advanced a bill on Monday t hat would require parents to opt in to the state’s vaccine registry, rather than Idaho’s existing policy that lets them to opt their children out.

Legislators on Idaho’s House Health and Welfare Committee on Monday advanced a bill that would require medical providers to only share the vaccination status of Idaho kids in a state-run database if their parents or caregivers say so.

Currently, Idaho’s immunization database, called the Immunization Reminder Information System , lets patients not be part of the database by opting out. If passed, the bill would take effect July 1, 2024.

Some health care professionals said the switch could leave Idaho medical offices with millions more in administrative costs.

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