Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 252 - Communicable diseases.
252.04 - Immunization program.

252.04 Immunization program.
(1) The department shall carry out a statewide immunization program to eliminate mumps, measles, rubella (German measles), diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), poliomyelitis and other diseases that the department specifies by rule, and to protect against tetanus. Any person who immunizes an individual under this section shall maintain records identifying the manufacturer and lot number of the vaccine used, the date of immunization and the name and title of the person who immunized the individual. These records shall be available to the individual or, if the individual is a minor, to his or her parent, guardian or legal custodian upon request.
(2) Any student admitted to any elementary, middle, junior, or senior high school or into any child care center or nursery school shall, within 30 school days after the date on which the student is admitted, present written evidence to the school, child care center, or nursery school of having completed the first immunization for each vaccine required for the student's grade and being on schedule for the remainder of the basic and recall (booster) immunization series for mumps, measles, rubella (German measles), diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), poliomyelitis, tetanus, and other diseases that the department specifies by rule or shall present a written waiver under sub. (3).
(3) The immunization requirement is waived if the student, if an adult, or the student's parent, guardian, or legal custodian submits a written statement to the school, child care center, or nursery school objecting to the immunization for reasons of health, religion, or personal conviction. At the time any school, child care center, or nursery school notifies a student, parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the immunization requirements, it shall inform the person in writing of the person's right to a waiver under this subsection.
(3m) Any government entity; public or private elementary, middle, junior high, or senior high school; childcare center or nursery school; or health care provider, as defined in s. 146.81 (1), that sends a piece of mail containing information that could disclose another person's immunization status, including immunization reminders sent by U.S. mail, shall ensure that any information that could disclose a person's immunization status or otherwise allow someone to infer a person's immunization status is enclosed and sealed within the piece of mail and that no such information is visible on the outside of the piece of mail.
(4) The student, if an adult, or the student's parent, guardian, or legal custodian shall keep the school, child care center, or nursery school informed of the student's compliance with the immunization schedule.
(5)
(a) By the 15th and the 25th school day after the date on which the student is admitted to a school, child care center, or nursery school, the school, child care center, or nursery school shall notify in writing any adult student or the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of any minor student who has not met the immunization or waiver requirements of this section. The notices shall cite the terms of those requirements and shall state that court action and forfeiture penalty could result due to noncompliance. The notices shall also explain the reasons for the immunization requirements and include information on how and where to obtain the required immunizations.
(b)
1. A school, child care center, or nursery school may exclude from the school, child care center, or nursery school any student who fails to satisfy the requirements of sub. (2).
2. Beginning on July 1, 1993, if the department determines that fewer than 98 percent of the students in a child care center, nursery school, or school district who are subject to the requirements of sub. (2) have complied with sub. (2), the child care center or nursery school shall exclude any child who fails to satisfy the requirements of sub. (2) and the school district shall exclude any student enrolled in grades kindergarten to 6 who fails to satisfy the requirements of sub. (2).
3. Beginning on July 1, 1995, if the department determines that fewer than 99 percent of the students in a child care center, nursery school, or school district who are subject to the requirements of sub. (2) have complied with sub. (2), the child care center or nursery school shall exclude any child who fails to satisfy the requirements of sub. (2) and the school district shall exclude any student enrolled in grades kindergarten to 6 who fails to satisfy the requirements of sub. (2).
4. No student may be excluded from public school under this paragraph for more than 10 consecutive school days unless, prior to the 11th consecutive school day of exclusion, the school board provides the student and the student's parent, guardian or legal custodian with an additional notice, a hearing and the opportunity to appeal the exclusion, as provided under s. 120.13 (1) (c) 3.
(6) The school, child care center, or nursery school shall notify the district attorney of the county in which the student resides of any minor student who fails to present written evidence of completed immunizations or a written waiver under sub. (3) within 60 school days after being admitted to the school, child care center, or nursery school. The district attorney shall petition the court exercising jurisdiction under chs. 48 and 938 for an order directing that the student be in compliance with the requirements of this section. If the court grants the petition, the court may specify the date by which a written waiver shall be submitted under sub. (3) or may specify the terms of the immunization schedule. The court may require an adult student or the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a minor student who refuses to submit a written waiver by the specified date or meet the terms of the immunization schedule to forfeit not more than $25 per day of violation.
(7) If an emergency arises, consisting of a substantial outbreak as determined by the department by rule of one of the diseases specified in sub. (2) at a school or in the municipality in which the school is located, the department may order the school to exclude students who are not immunized until the outbreak subsides.
(8) The department shall provide the vaccines without charge, if federal or state funds are available for the vaccines, upon request of a school district or a local health department. The department shall provide the necessary professional consultant services to carry out an immunization program, under the requirements of sub. (9), in the jurisdiction of the requesting local health department. Persons immunized may not be charged for vaccines furnished by the department.
(9)
(a) An immunization program under sub. (8) shall be supervised by a physician, selected by the school district or local health department, who shall issue written orders for the administration of immunizations that are in accordance with written protocols issued by the department.
(b) If the physician under par. (a) is not an employee of the county, city, village or school district, receives no compensation for his or her services under par. (a) and acts under par. (a) in accordance with written protocols issued by the department, he or she is a state agent of the department for the purposes of ss. 165.25 (6), 893.82 (3) and 895.46.
(c) The department may disapprove the selection made under par. (a) or may require the removal of a physician selected.
(9m) A pharmacist or pharmacy that administers a vaccine under this section to a person 6 to 18 years of age shall update the Wisconsin Immunization Registry established by the department within 7 days of administering the vaccine.
(10) The department shall, by rule, prescribe the mechanisms for implementing and monitoring compliance with this section. The department shall prescribe, by rule, the form that any person immunizing a student shall provide to the student under sub. (1).
(11) Annually, by July 1, the department shall submit a report to the legislature under s. 13.172 (3) on the success of the statewide immunization program under this section.
History: 1993 a. 27 ss. 181, 470; 1995 a. 32, 77, 222; 2009 a. 185; 2015 a. 55; 2021 a. 81.