Immunizations: disclosure of information: tuberculosis screening.

Existing law regulates the sharing of a patient's or client's immunization information between a health care provider, local health department, the State Department of Public Health, and other agencies. Existing law prescribes the process by which a patient or client, or parent or guardian of a patient or client, may refuse to allow the information to be shared and requires the health care provider administering the immunization to provide the patient with designated notice. Existing law permits local health departments and the department to share the name of a patient or client, or parent or guardian of a patient or client, with a state, local health department, health care provider, immunization information system, or any representative of an entity designated by federal or state law to receive this information, and authorizes the department to enter into written agreements to share this information with other states for specified purposes, unless the patient or client, or parent or guardian of the patient or client, refuses to allow the information to be shared. Under existing law, the patient or client, or parent or guardian of the patient or client, has the right to examine shared immunization-related information and to correct errors in it. Under existing law, if the patient or client, or parent or guardian of a patient or client, refuses the sharing of immunization information, the patient's or client's physician is allowed to maintain access to this information for the purpose of patient care or protecting the public health. Existing law also allows the local health department and the department to maintain access to this information for the purpose of protecting the public health. This bill would include tuberculosis screening, as defined, in the above immunization information provisions.