Immunization Registry

On January 1, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom passed Assembly Bill (AB) 1797, which was authored by assembly member Akilah Weber, MD. The bill updates the current immunization registry statute, Health and Safety Code Section 120440.

AB 1797 requires care providers and other agencies — including schools, childcare facilities, family childcare homes, and county human services agencies — to disclose specified immunization information. It adds the patient’s race and ethnicity to the list of information that may be disclosed. The bill additionally authorizes schools, childcare facilities, family childcare homes, and county human services agencies to use the specified immunization information, for the COVID-19 public health emergency, to perform immunization status assessments of pupils, adults, and clients to ensure health and safety. These institutions and care providers are subject to civil action and criminal penalties for the wrongful disclosure of the information.

AB 1797 applies to both Medi-Cal Managed Care and the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program. It imposes a state-mandated local program until January 1, 2026.

What do providers need to do?

With the passage of AB 1797, California care providers who administer vaccines will be required to enter:

• Immunization information into the California Immunization Registry.
• Race and ethnicity information for each patient in the immunization registry to support assessment of health disparities in immunization coverage.

All vaccines administered to patients of all ages must be submitted. However, patients can decline to state their race or ethnicity. In these instances, providers can select the prefer not to say field.

Patients may have concerns about privacy. Care providers should explain to them that the California Immunization Registry is safe and private. By law, it can be used only by authorized people in their medical office or health plan.

In addition, schools, childcare centers, foster care agencies, and other programs are only authorized to look up shot records for the children they serve. The registry can only be used to check shot records, see which shots are due, and see how many children need shots.