Chapter DHS 144

DHS 144.03(10)(a) (a) Between vaccine providers and schools or child care centers. Vaccine providers shall disclose a student’s immunization information, including the student’s name, date of birth, gender, and the day, month, and year the vaccine was administered, and the name of vaccine administered, to a school or child care center upon written or verbal request from the school or child care center. Written or verbal permission from a student or parent is not required to release this information to a school or child care center.

DHS 144.03(10)(b) (b) Among vaccine providers. Immunization information, including the student’s name, date of birth and gender and the day, month, year and name of vaccine administered, shall be provided by one vaccine provider to another without written or verbal permission from the student or the parent.

DHS 144.03 History History: Cr. Register, June, 1981, No. 306, eff. 7-1-81; r. and recr. (2) and (3), am. (4) to (6), Register, June, 1988, No. 390, eff. 7-1-88; am. (2) (a) to (d), (3) (a) and (b), r. (2) (e), Register, January, 1989, No. 397, eff. 2-1-89; am. (2) (a), (4) and (5), r. and recr. (3), tables 144.03-A and B, Register, July, 1990, No. 415, eff. 8-1-90; corrections made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, August, 1995, No. 476; r. and recr. (2) (a), Table 144.03-A and (3), am. (2) (c) and (4) to (7), cr. (2) (e) and (10), r. Table 144.03-B, Register, June, 1997, No. 498, eff. 7-1-97; r. and recr. (2) (a) and Table 144.03-A, cr. (2) (f), (g) and (3m), am. (3) (a) and (6), Register, May, 2001, No. 545, eff. 6-1-01; CR 03-033: am. (2) (b), (c), (e) and Table 144.03-A Register December 2003 No. 576, eff. 1-1-04; CR 07-077: r. and recr. (2) (a), (f), (3), (3m) and Table-A, cr. (2) (h) and (i), am. (10) (a) and (b) Register February 2008 No. 626, eff. 3-1-08; CR 19-079: am. (1), (2) (title), (a), (b), r. and recr. Table 144.03-A, (2) (c) to (i), cr. (2) (j), (k), r. (3), (3m), am. (4) to (6), (10) (a) Register January 2023 No. 805, eff. 2-1-23; correction in (6) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register January 2023 No. 805.

DHS 144.04 DHS 144.04 Waiver for health reasons. Upon certification by a physician that an immunization required under s. 252.04, Stats., is or may be harmful to the health of a student, the requirements for that immunization shall be waived by the department. Written evidence of any required immunization which the student has previously received shall be submitted to the school or child care center with the waiver form.

DHS 144.04 History History: Cr. Register, June, 1981, No. 306, eff. 7-1-81; correction made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, August, 1995, No. 476; CR 19-079: am. Register January 2023 No. 805, eff. 2-1-23.

DHS 144.05 DHS 144.05 Waiver for reason of religious or personal conviction. Immunization requirements under s. 252.04, Stats., shall be waived by the department upon presentation of a signed statement by the parent of a minor student or by the adult student which declares an objection to immunization on religious or personal conviction grounds. Written evidence of any required immunization which the student has previously received shall be submitted to the school or child care center with the waiver form.

DHS 144.05 History History: Cr. Register, June, 1981, No. 306, eff. 7-1-81; correction made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, August, 1995, No. 476; am. Register, June, 1997, No. 498, eff. 7-1-97; CR 19-079: am. Register January 2023 No. 805, eff. 2-1-23.

DHS 144.06 DHS 144.06 Responsibilities of parents and adult students. The parent of any minor student, or the adult student, shall secure the immunizations required under s. 252.04, Stats., from available health care sources such as physicians’ offices, hospitals or local health departments, or shall submit the waiver form.

DHS 144.06 History History: Cr. Register, June, 1981, No. 306, eff. 7-1-81; correction made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, August, 1995, No. 476; am. Register, June, 1997, No. 498, eff. 7-1-97; CR 19-079: am. Register January 2023 No. 805, eff. 2-1-23.

DHS 144.07 DHS 144.07 Responsibilities of schools and child care centers.

DHS 144.07(1) (1) The responsibilities of schools under these rules shall be those of the local school board and the school administrator. The licensee for each child care center shall be responsible for compliance with these rules. The school or child care center shall assure compliance with s. 252.04 (2), Stats.

DHS 144.07(1m) (1m) By the 15th school day after a student is admitted to a school or child care center and again by the 25th school day after a student is admitted to a school or child care center, the school or child care center shall notify the adult student or the parent of any minor student who has not submitted either written evidence of immunization or a waiver form. Notification shall include instructions for complying with the requirements of s. 252.04 (2), Stats., including a list of missing immunizations, the availability of waivers for reasons of health, religion, or personal conviction, and an explanation of the penalty for noncompliance.

DHS 144.07(2) (2) For any student who has received the first dose of each immunization required for that student’s age or grade under s. DHS 144.03, but who has not received all of the required doses, the school shall obtain written evidence that the student has received the required subsequent doses of immunization as they are administered, but no later than the deadlines described in s. DHS 144.03.

DHS 144.07(3) (3) If any minor student for whom a waiver form is not filed fails to comply with the immunization requirements described in s. DHS 144.03 by the date of admission to the school or child care center, the school or child care center may, within 60 school days of that failure to comply, notify the district attorney in writing, with the notice to include the student’s name and the name and address of the student’s parent, and request the district attorney to seek a court order under s. 48.13 (13), Stats. The school or child care center may keep the district attorney apprised of the subsequent compliance of a student initially reported to the district attorney.

DHS 144.07(4) (4) 

DHS 144.07(4)(a) (a) The school and the child care center shall report to both the local health department and the department the degree of compliance with s. 252.04, Stats., and this chapter by students in that school or child care center.

DHS 144.07(4)(b) (b) These reports shall be in a format prescribed by the department and shall be made by schools within 40 school days after the beginning of the term and by child care centers at intervals prescribed by the department. Updated reports shall be filed by the school on students who are in the process of being immunized. These updated reports shall be filed within 10 school days after the deadlines listed in s. DHS 144.03.

DHS 144.07(5) (5) The school and the child care center shall maintain on file the immunization history for each student and any waiver form submitted. Immunization histories shall be updated with information supplied by the local health department, parents, or private physicians.

DHS 144.07(6) (6) The school or child care center shall maintain a current roster listing the name and immunization history of each student who does not meet all immunization requirements for that student’s grade or age.

DHS 144.07(7) (7) The immunization record of any new student who transfers from one school or child care center to another shall be forwarded to the new school or child care center within 10 school days of the request for record transfer. The records of a child care student shall be transferred to a school if requested by either the admitting school or the parent.

DHS 144.07(8) (8) All suspected cases of diseases covered by s. 252.04 (2), Stats., or this chapter which occur among students or staff shall be reported immediately by telephone to the local health department.

DHS 144.07(9) (9) If one of the diseases covered by s. 252.04 (2), Stats., or this chapter occurs in a student or staff member, the school or child care center shall assist the local health department and the department in immediately identifying any unimmunized students, notifying their parents of the possible exposure, and facilitating the disease control activities.

DHS 144.07(10) (10) If a substantial outbreak as defined in s. DHS 144.02 (12) occurs in a school or child care center, or in the municipality in which a school or child care center is located, the school or child care center shall exclude students who have not received all required immunizations against the disease, including students in all grades who have not had 2 doses of measles vaccine, when it is an outbreak of measles that is occurring, when ordered to do so by the department. The exclusion shall last until the student is immunized or until the department determines that the outbreak has subsided.

DHS 144.07 History History: Cr. Register, June, 1981, No. 306, eff. 7-1-81; am. (10), Register, July, 1990, No. 415, eff. 8-1-90; corrections made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, August, 1995, No. 476; renum. (intro.) and (1) to be (1) and (1m) and am. (1m), am. (3), (4) (intro.), (a), (5) and (7) to (9), Register, June, 1997, No. 498, eff. 7-1-97; CR 19-079: am. (title), (1), (1m), (3), r(4) (a) (intro.), renum. (4) (a) 1. to (4) (a) and am., r. (4) (a) 2., am. (4) (b), (5) to (7), (9), (10) Register January 2023 No. 805, eff. 2-1-23.

DHS 144.08 DHS 144.08 Responsibilities of local health departments.

DHS 144.08(1) (1) Each local health department shall make available the immunizations required under s. 252.04 (2), Stats., insofar as the vaccine is available without charge from the department under ch. DHS 146. Vaccines made available free from the department under ch. DHS 146 shall be administered without charge for the cost of the biologic. By mutual agreement, responsibility for making the needed immunizations available may be transferred from the local health department to a school or child care center.

DHS 144.08(2) (2) By November 15 of each year, each local health department shall report to the department statistical information concerning the degree of compliance with s. 252.04, Stats., of students within its service area. These reports shall be on a form prescribed by the department.

DHS 144.08(3) (3) The local health department shall assist the department in informing schools and child care centers of the provisions of s. 252.04, Stats., and this chapter.

DHS 144.08 History History: Cr. Register, June, 1981, No. 306, eff. 7-1-81; corrections made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, August, 1995, No. 476; am. Register, June, 1997, No. 498, eff. 7-1-97; corrections in (1) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register January 2009 No. 637; CR 19-079: am. (1), (3) Register January 2023 No. 805, eff. 2-1-23.

DHS 144.09 DHS 144.09 Responsibilities of the department.

DHS 144.09(1) (1) 

DHS 144.09(1)(a) (a) The department, in cooperation with local boards of health and health officers, local school boards and school and child care center administrators and other agencies, as appropriate, shall provide guidance to parents, physicians, schools, day care centers, and local health departments in understanding the minimum immunization requirements under s. 252.04, Stats., and this chapter, the reasons behind their establishment and the process for implementing them.

DHS 144.09(1)(b) (b) The department shall undertake a public education campaign to inform parents of students about requirements and rights under s. 252.04, Stats., and this chapter.

DHS 144.09(1)(c) (c) The department shall prepare the reporting and waiver forms required under this chapter, and shall make copies of those forms available without charge.

DHS 144.09 Note Note: Contact the Wisconsin Immunization Program at 608-267-9959 for copies of required reporting and waiver forms.

DHS 144.09(1)(d) (d) The department may temporarily suspend an immunization requirement if the department determines that the supply of a necessary vaccine is inadequate.

DHS 144.09(2) (2) The department shall maintain a surveillance system designed to detect occurrences of vaccine-preventable diseases listed in s. 252.04 (2), Stats., and this chapter and shall investigate outbreaks of these diseases to confirm the diagnosis, determine the source and probable pattern of spread of the infection and guide implementation of appropriate control measures.

DHS 144.09 History History: Cr. Register, June, 1981, No. 306, eff. 7-1-81; corrections made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, August, 1995, No. 476; r. and recr. Register, June, 1997, No. 498, eff. 7-1-97; CR 07-077: cr. (1) (d) Register February 2008 No. 626, eff. 3-1-08; CR 19-079: am. (1) (a) Register January 2023 No. 805, eff. 2-1-23.