Introducing the Massachusetts Immunization Information System
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, working under a state law mandate, has developed an electronic registry for the reporting of any immunization given to any patient of any age in the state of Massachusetts. Atrius practices have been working with DPH for almost a year to develop and implement an electronic interface for the automatic download of our immunization information to MIIS. On Thursday, August 9, 2012, the registry will go live.
Under Massachusetts state law (note 38 other states have a similar state registry), any immunization given to any patient of any age will be reported to the registry. GMG has an obligation to inform patients of the existence of the registry but practices are bound by law to report immunizations and patients cannot refuse that reporting. As data in MIIS becomes more robust, a variety of health care providers, including GMG, and school officials will have the ability to access the MIIS system to obtain records of a patient’s immunization status. Patients have the right to limit data sharing and may do so by completing an MIIS objection form, which we will have available on-site.
Fact Sheet for Parents (424k pdf)