A bill to improve vaccination rates among children.

Summary: Infant Immunization Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize an immunization grantee to use funds from a preventive health services grant to provide, through participating Women, Infants and Children Program clinics: (1) recommended vaccines to eligible children aged 0 to 35 months; (2) for the coordination of care or immunization services; or (3) payment for the salary of an immunization coordinator.

Requires: (1) the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state administrators of such immunization program to consult with the Food and Nutrition Service in carrying out activities related to screening for appropriate immunization services; and (2) any recipient of such a grant that receives funding for an immunization information system to permit all clinics that participate in preventive health services projects and in the Special Supplemental Food and Nutrition Program to have access to the system.

Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director, to annually conduct an immunization awareness campaign and carry out immunization education and outreach activities to: (1) increase the awareness of parents of the benefits of age appropriate immunizations; (2) inform the general public concerning the efficacy of new vaccines and new vaccine schedules; and (3) disseminate information that emphasizes the benefits of recommended vaccines for the public good.

Requires activities under this Act to target areas with the greatest immunization needs in the 0 to 35 month age group.

Calls for the Secretary and the Director to work to improve the integration of immunization information systems with electronic medical records, other health information systems, and health information exchanges.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Infant Immunization Improvement Act 
of 2008''.

SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FOR VACCINATION CO-LOCATION SERVICES AT 
              WIC CLINICS.

    Section 317(k) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b(k)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(5) Immunizations.--
            ``(A) In general.--An immunization grantee under this 
        section may use amounts made available under this section to 
        provide, through participating WIC clinics--
                    ``(i) recommended vaccines to children aged 0 to 35 
                months who satisfy the eligibility requirements;
                    ``(ii) for the coordination of care or immunization 
                services; or
                    ``(iii) payment for the salary of an immunization 
                coordinator.
            ``(B) Immunization information systems.--Any grantee that 
        receives funding under this section for an immunization 
        information system shall permit all clinics that participate in 
        the projects under this section and in the Special Supplemental 
        Food and Nutrition Program under section 17 of the Child 
        Nutrition Act of 1966 to have access to the system.
            ``(C) Appropriate immunization services.--In carrying out 
        activities under this section related to screening for 
        appropriate immunization services, the Director of the Centers 
        for Disease Control and Prevention and State administrators of 
        the program referred to in subparagraph (A) shall consult with 
        the Food and Nutrition Service of the Department of 
        Agriculture.
            ``(D) Requirement.--Activities under this paragraph shall 
        target areas with the greatest immunization needs in the 0 to 
        35 month age group.
            ``(E) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
                    ``(i) Immunization information system.--The term 
                `immunization information system' means a confidential, 
                computerized information system that collects and 
                consolidates vaccination data from multiple health-care 
                providers, generates reminder and recall notifications, 
                and assess vaccination coverage. Such systems may have 
                added capabilities, such as vaccine management, adverse 
                event reporting, lifespan vaccination histories, and 
                interoperability with electronic medical records.
                    ``(ii) Immunization coordinator.--The term 
                `immunization coordinator' means an individual who 
                coordinates immunization activities, including the 
                screening of immunization records, reminders of 
                necessary immunizations and referrals of patients, if 
                necessary, to an immunization provider.
            ``(F) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph, $5,500,000 for 
        each of the 3-fiscal years beginning with the first fiscal year 
        after the date of enactment of the Infant Immunization 
        Improvement Act of 2008.''.

SEC. 3. ANNUAL PUBLIC IMMUNIZATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.

    Section 317 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(l) Annual Public Immunization Awareness Campaign.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
        Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
        shall annually conduct a public, age appropriate, immunization 
        awareness campaign, and carry out immunization education and 
        outreach activities, to--
                    ``(A) increase the awareness of parents of the 
                benefits of age appropriate immunizations;
                    ``(B) inform the general public concerning the 
                efficacy of new vaccines and new vaccine schedules; and
                    ``(C) disseminate information that emphasizes the 
                benefits of recommended vaccines for the public good.
            ``(2) Timing.--Activities carried out under paragraph (1) 
        shall be timed to coincide, to the extent practicable, with 
        national health observances.
            ``(3) Requirement.--Activities under this subsection shall 
        target areas with the greatest immunization needs in the 0 to 
        35 month age group.
            ``(4) Funding.--In addition to amounts appropriated under 
        this section for immunization purposes, there is authorized to 
        be appropriated, $5,000,000 for each of the 3-fiscal years 
        beginning with the first fiscal year after the date of 
        enactment of the Infant Immunization Improvement Act of 
        2008.''.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS.

    It is the sense of the Senate that the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention should work to improve the integration of immunization 
information systems (as defined in section 317(k)(5) of the Public 
Health Service Act) with electronic medical records, other health 
information systems, and health information exchanges.