WAC 246-105-020   Definitions.  For the purposes of this chapter, the words and phrases in this section have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

     (1) "Certificate of exemption (COE)" means a form that is:

     (a) Approved by the department and consistent with the requirements of WAC 246-105-050(2); or

     (b) An immunization form produced by the state immunization information system.

     (2) "Certificate of immunization status (CIS)" means a form that is:

     (a) Approved by the department and consistent with the requirements of WAC 246-105-050(1); or

     (b) An immunization form produced by the state immunization information system.

     (3) "Chief administrator" means:

     (a) The person with the authority and responsibility for supervising the immediate operation of a school or child care center; or

     (b) A person designated in writing by the statutory or corporate board of directors of the school district or school; or

     (c) If (a) and (b) of this subsection do not apply, a person or persons with the authority and responsibility for supervising the general operation of the school district or school.

     (4) "Child" means any person regardless of age admitted to:

     (a) Any public school district; or

     (b) Any private school or private institution subject to approval by the state board of education or described in RCW 28A.305.130 and 28A.195.010 through 28A.195.060; or

     (c) Any child care center.

     (5) "Child care center" means any licensed facility or center that regularly provides care of children for periods of less than twenty-four hours per day subject to licensure by the department of early learning as described in chapter 43.215 RCW.

     (6) "Conditional" means a type of temporary immunization status where a child is not immunized against one or more of the vaccine-preventable diseases required by this chapter for full immunization. A child in this status is allowed to attend a school or child care center provided the child makes satisfactory progress toward full immunization.

     (7) "Department" means the department of health.

     (8) "Exempt" or "exemption" means a type of immunization status where a child has not been immunized against one or more of the vaccine-preventable diseases required by this chapter for full immunization due to medical, religious, philosophical or personal reasons. A child in this status is allowed to attend a school or child care center only by providing the required COE form.

     (9) "Full immunization" or "fully immunized" means an immunization status where a child has provided proof of acquired immunity or has been vaccinated with immunizing agents against each of the vaccine-preventable diseases listed in WAC 246-105-030 according to the national immunization guidelines described in WAC 246-105-040.

     (10) "Immunizing agent" means any vaccine or other immunologic drug licensed and approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or meeting World Health Organization (WHO) requirements, for immunization of persons against vaccine-preventable diseases.

     (11) "Local health officer" means the individual appointed under chapter 70.05 RCW as the health officer for the local health department, or appointed under chapter 70.08 RCW as the director of public health of a combined city-county or combined county health district.

     (12) "National immunization guidelines" means guidelines that are:

     (a) Approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP); and

     (b) Published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR); and

     (c) Consistent with the terms and conditions set forth in WAC 246-105-040.

     (13) "Parent" means, for the purposes of signature requirements in this rule:

     (a) The mother, father, legal guardian, or any adult in loco parentis of a child seventeen years of age or younger; or

     (b) A person eighteen years of age or older; or

     (c) An emancipated minor.

     (14) "Satisfactory progress" for purposes of conditional status or an expired temporary medical exemption means the start or continuance towards full immunization status through the receipt of missing immunizations in a manner consistent with the national immunization guidelines described in WAC 246-105-040 and within the following time frames:

     (a) Any missing immunizations must be received within thirty days after the first day of attendance or after a temporary medical exemption is no longer valid, unless receipt within such time is inconsistent with the guidelines.

     (b) When the immunizations are part of a series with recommended intervals between doses, each additional missing immunization must be received no later than thirty days past the recommended date of administration of the next dose as established by the guidelines.

     (15) "School" means a facility, site, or campus for programs of education as defined in RCW 28A.210.070 to include preschool and kindergarten through grade twelve.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.210.140. 09-02-003, § 246-105-020, filed 12/26/08, effective 1/26/09.]