North Dakota § 23-07-17.1 - Inoculation required before admission to school

§ 23-07-17.1. Inoculation required before admission to school

1. A child may not be admitted to any public, private, or parochial school, or day care center, child care facility, head start program, or nursery school operating in this state or be supervised through home-based instruction unless the child's parent or guardian presents to the institution authorities a certification from a licensed physician or 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. authorized representative of the department of health and human services that the child has received age-appropriate immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, rubella (German measles), mumps, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), varicella (chickenpox), poliomyelitis, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, rotovirus, and hepatitis A. In the case of a child receiving home-based instruction, the child's parent or legal guardian shall file the certification with the public school district in which the child resides. A child may enter an institution upon submitting written proof from a licensed physician or authorized representative of the department of health and human services stating that the child has started receiving the required immunization or has a written consent by the child's parent or guardian for a local health service or department to administer the needed immunization without charge or has complied with the requirements for certificate of exemption as provided for in subsection 3. Any minor child, through the child's parent or guardian, may submit to the institution authorities either a certificate from a licensed physician stating that the physical condition of the child is such that immunization would endanger the life or health of the child or a certificate signed by the child's parent or guardian whose religious, philosophical, or moral beliefs are opposed to such immunization. The minor child is then exempt from the provisions of this section. The enforcement of subsections 1, 2, and 3 is the responsibility of the designated institution authority. The immunizations required, and the procedure for their administration, as prescribed by the department of health and human services, must conform to recognized standard medical practices in the state. The department of health and human services shall administer the provisions of this section and shall promulgate rules and regulations in the manner prescribed by chapter 28-32 for the purpose of administering this section. When, in the opinion of the health officer, danger of an epidemic exists from any of the communicable diseases for which immunization is required under this section, the exemptions from immunization against such disease may not be recognized and children not immunized must be excluded from an institution listed in subsection 1 until, in the opinion of the health officer, the danger of the epidemic is over. The designated institution authority shall notify those parents or guardians taking legal exception to the immunization requirements that their children are excluded from school during an epidemic as determined by the department of health and human services. When, in the opinion of the health officer, extenuating circumstances make it difficult or impossible to comply with immunization requirements, the health officer may authorize children who are not immunized to be admitted to an institution listed in subsection 1 until the health officer determines that the extenuating circumstances no longer exist. Extenuating circumstances include a shortage of vaccine and other temporary circumstances.