H.P. 846 - L.D. 1180
An Act to Require Additional Vaccines for Employees of Health Care Facilities
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §802, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 487, §11, is amended to read:
4. Immunization required. Except as otherwise provided under this subchapter, each hospital in the State and any other health facility in the State designated by the department, shall require for all employees born after 1956, either proof of immunization or serologic evidence of immunity against Rubeola measles and Rubella, or German, measles. Employees currently working in the hospital or designated health facility must shall meet these standards within 180 days of the effective date of this subsection. The personnel records of each employee born after 1956 shall must include a copy of the documentation of the vaccine history, showing month, day and year or the serologic history of immunity. For purposes of this subsection, "employee" means a person who performs a service for wages or other remuneration for a hospital or designated health facility under a contract of hire, written or oral, expressed or implied. Immunization required by this subsection does not apply to any employee who:
A. Provides a physician's written statement that immunization against one or more of the diseases may be medically inadvisable; or
B. States in writing a sincere religious belief which that is contrary to the immunization requirement of this subsection.
In addition, all employees, regardless of their dates of birth, who have a risk of direct occupational exposure to blood or body fluids shall provide either proof of immunization or serologic evidence of immunity against hepatitis B. Employees employed in the hospital or designated health facility shall meet and maintain these standards by January 1, 2000.
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §802, sub-§5 is enacted to read:
5. Immunization requirements for nursing facility staff. A nursing facility or licensed assisted living facility shall adopt a facility policy that recommends and offers annual immunizations against influenza to all personnel who provide direct care to residents of the facility.
Effective September 18, 1999, unless otherwise indicated.
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