The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1) "Certificate of exemption (COE)" means a form for the purpose of documenting an exemption to the school or child care immunization requirements that is approved by the department and consistent with the requirements of WAC 246-105-050(4).

(2) "Certificate of immunization status (CIS)" means a form for the purpose of documenting a person's immunization status that is approved by the department and consistent with the requirements of WAC 246-105-050(2).

(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

(5) "Child care center" means any facility or center licensed by the department of children, youth, and families under chapter 43.216 RCW that regularly provides early childhood education and early learning services for a group of children for periods of less than twenty-four hours per day.

(6) "Child care health consultant" means a licensed registered nurse meeting the qualifications established in WAC 110-300-0275 or their designee.

(7) "Conditional" means a type of temporary immunization status where a child is not fully immunized against one or more of the vaccine-preventable diseases required by this chapter. A child in this status is allowed to attend a school or child care center only if the parent provides proof of immunization consistent with the schedule established in WAC 246-105-060 (2)(a).

(8) "Department" means the Washington state department of health.

(9) "Exempt" or "exemption" means a type of immunization status where a child has not been fully immunized against one or more of the vaccine-preventable diseases required by this chapter 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.

(10) "Full immunization" or "fully immunized" means an immunization status where a child has 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.

(11) "Health care practitioner" means a physician licensed under chapter 18.71 or 18.57 RCW, a naturopath licensed under chapter 18.36A RCW, a physician assistant licensed under chapter 18.71A or 18.57A RCW, or an advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW.

(12) "Health care provider" means a person licensed, certified or registered in a profession listed in RCW 18.130.040(2), if administering vaccinations is within the profession's scope of practice.

(13) "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.

(14) "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.

(15) "Medically verified immunization record" means a valid record that is:

(a) An electronic or written medical health record from a health care provider or facility at which the provider practices; or

(b) A document from a secure, web-based application that records and tracks immunization dates such as an immunization registry.

(16) "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

(17) "Out of compliance" means a type of immunization status where a child:

(a) Is not fully immunized for their age and grade against any of the vaccine-preventable diseases listed in WAC 246-105-030 according to the national immunization guidelines described in WAC 246-105-040; and

(b) Is not in conditional status for the missing required immunization; and

(18) "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 less than eighteen years of age; or

(b) A person who is eighteen years of age or older and signing for themselves; or

(19) "Religious membership" means membership in a religious body or church whose teachings or beliefs preclude a health care practitioner from providing medical treatment to the child.

(20) "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.

(21) "School nurse" means person credentialed under chapter 18.79 RCW, meeting the qualifications for a school nurse established under chapter 181-79A WAC, or their designee.

(22) "Washington state immunization information system (WAIIS)" means a statewide, secure, web-based lifetime immunization registry that tracks medically verified immunization records for people of all ages in Washington state.

(23) "WAIIS school module" means a feature of the WAIIS that allows users to track and manage medically verified student and school-level immunization information.

PDFWAC 246-105-020

Definitions.