(a) The department shall provide appropriate flu vaccine to local governmental or private, nonprofit agencies at no charge in order that the agencies may provide the vaccine, at a minimal cost, at accessible locations. The department and the California Department of Aging shall prepare, publish, and disseminate information regarding the availability of the vaccine and the effectiveness of the vaccine in protecting the health of older persons.
(b) In administering this section, the department may provide guidance to local agencies as to whether one or more population groups shall have priority for the flu vaccine offered through this program. In developing this guidance, the department shall consider the influenza recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) or other criteria in order to ensure that the vaccination program is efficient and effective in meeting public health goals. Any guidance issued pursuant to this subdivision shall be exempt from the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). In the absence of guidance from the department, local agencies shall be guided by the influenza recommendations of the ACIP.
(c) The department may provide appropriate vaccine that prevents other respiratory infections to local governmental or private, nonprofit agencies at no charge in order that the agencies may provide the vaccine, at a minimal cost, at accessible locations for groups identified as high risk by the ACIP.
(d) The program shall be designed to use voluntary assistance from public or private sectors in administering the vaccines. However, local governmental or private, nonprofit agencies may charge and retain a fee not exceeding two dollars ($2) per person to offset administrative operating costs.
(e) Except when the department determines that it is not feasible to use federal funds due to excessive administrative costs, the department shall seek and use available federal funds to the maximum extent possible for the cost of the vaccine, the cost of administering the vaccine, and the minimal fee charged under this section, including reimbursement under the Medi-Cal program for persons eligible therefor to the extent permitted by federal law.
(f) A private, nonprofit volunteer agency whose involvement with an immunization program governed by this section is limited to the provision of a clinic site or promotional and logistical support pursuant to subdivision (c), or any employee or member thereof, shall not be liable for any injury caused by an act or omission in the administration of the vaccine or other immunizing agent, if the immunization is performed pursuant to this section in conformity with applicable federal, state, or local governmental standards and the act or omission does not constitute willful misconduct or gross negligence. As used in this subdivision, “injury” includes the residual effects of the vaccine or other immunizing agent. It is the intent of the Legislature in adding this subdivision to affect only the liability of private, nonprofit volunteer agencies and their members that are not health facilities, as defined in Section 1250.
(g) This section shall not be construed to require the physical presence of a directing or supervising physician, or the examination by a physician of persons to be tested or immunized.
(Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 443, Sec. 3. (AB 2009) Effective January 1, 2013.)