ImmunizeDC advocates and educates on immunization-related policies being considered before the DC Council, as well as lending our support to other coalitions nationwide on key issues.
Minor Consent for Vaccinations
Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act of 2020 – DC Law 23-193, the “Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act of 2020,” was introduced in the DC Council and became effective on March 16, 2021. (Click button below for more information about this law.)
However, according to a memo from DC Health to vaccination providers, a court order changed the options that providers have for obtaining consent for minors (under age 18) to be vaccinated in the District of Columbia. As stated in the communication:
On Friday, March 18, 2022, United States District Judge Trevor McFadden issued a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of this law pending further court orders. At this time, government providers, including government contractors and sub-grantees, may only vaccinate minors under the age of 18 with the consent of a parent or legal guardian. While Judge McFadden’s orders currently do not apply to non-government providers, allowing a minor to receive a vaccine without consent from a parent or guardian is now questionable. You should consult with your attorney if you wish to vaccinate a minor without consent of a parent or guardian. This applies to all vaccines, including vaccines against COVID-19.
DC Immunization Attendance Policy
To prevent the spread of infectious diseases, all students must be fully immunized before entering school. All students must have an up-to-date immunization certificate on file with the school.
Immunization Law and Policy in the District: DC Health has updated the definition of compliance with the school immunization requirements. Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, DC Health will no longer differentiate between “due” and “overdue” in the determination of compliance. Under the new definition, once a student is due for a vaccine, that student is considered non-compliant.
Limiting Temporary Exclusion: In the 2023-24 school year, only non-compliant students in grades pre-K 3, Kindergarten, 7, and 11 will be eligible for temporary exclusion. These grades were selected because they occur soon after age bands in which vaccines are first recommended. Most students in these grades will not “age into” non-compliance during the school year.
Visit our Get Back on Track page for more information and links to resources from OSSE, DC Health, DCPS and others.
Medicaid Reimbursement for Pharmacists
On June 5, 2020, the Medicaid Reimbursement for Fee for Service Pharmacy Services Notice of Final Rulemaking was posted.
Vaccines Purchased with 317 Funds
Section 317 of the Public Health Service Act authorizes the federal purchase of vaccines to vaccinate children, adolescents, and adults in the United States.
Section 317-purchased vaccine has been directed towards meeting the needs of priority populations, including underinsured children who are not eligible for VFC and uninsured adults. Section 317 funding also supports immunization program operations at the local, state, and national levels.
According to the CDC, as of October 1, 2012, Section 317-funded vaccines can only be used to vaccinate:
- Newborns receiving the birth dose of hepatitis B prior to hospital discharge that are covered under bundled delivery or global delivery package (no routine services can be individually billed) that does not include hepatitis B vaccine
- Fully insured infants of hepatitis B infected women and the household or sexual contacts of hepatitis B infected individuals
- Uninsured or underinsured adults
- Fully insured individuals seeking vaccines during public health response activities including:
- Outbreak response
- Post-exposure prophylaxis
- Disaster relief efforts
- Mass vaccination campaigns or exercises for public health preparedness
- Individuals in correctional facilities and jail
AVAC
The Adult Vaccine Access Coalition (AVAC), a member of ImmunizeDC, was formed in 2015 to advocate for federal policies that improve access to and increase use of vaccines among adults. AVAC is made up of stakeholder organizations that work together to inform and engage federal policymakers in working towards common legislative and regulatory solutions that will strengthen the adult immunization ecosystem.
