(225 ILCS 80/31)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2027)

Sec. 31. Administration of vaccines.

(a) A licensed optometrist may independently administer the COVID-19 vaccine upon the completion of appropriate training, as described in subsection (c). Vaccinations for COVID-19 shall be limited to patients 17 years of age and older.

(b) The optometrist shall administer the COVID-19 vaccine and must not delegate the administration to an assistant or any other person. Vaccination of a patient by an optometrist shall be documented in the patient's record and shall include:

(1) the vaccine administered;

(2) the site of injection of the vaccine;

(3) the name, dose, manufacturer, lot number, and beyond-use date of the vaccine;

(4) the name and address of the patient's primary health care provider named by the patient;

(5) a notation that the patient was presented with the appropriate vaccine information statement (VIS) prior to the administration of each vaccine; and

(6) any adverse events that followed the vaccination.

(c) In order to initiate and administer an immunization described in subsection (b), an optometrist must:

(1) at a minimum, complete 4 hours of education in: (i) an immunization training program endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; (ii) the injections course approved by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry; or (iii) a course approved by the Department that provides equivalent training provided by an approved Continuing Education Sponsor. The training must include, at a minimum, hands-on injection technique, proper vaccine storage, clinic evaluation of indications and contraindications of vaccines, and the recognition and treatment of emergency reactions to vaccines, and the optometrist shall maintain that training;

(2) be certified in basic life support; and

(3) comply with all State and federal recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including providing documentation to the patient's primary care provider within 30 days of administering the vaccine and entering all patient level data on vaccines administered in the immunization data registry (I-Care) maintained by the Department of Public Health.

The Department, in its discretion, may exempt an optometrist from the requirements of this subsection if the optometrist has completed the training required under a proclamation issued by the Secretary on March 24, 2021 to authorize licensed optometrists to administer COVID-19 vaccines. An optometrist who is granted an exemption from the Department is required to maintain the training required by this subsection.

(d) An optometrist administering an immunization pursuant to this Section may also initiate and administer epinephrine or diphenhydramine by injection for the treatment of a severe allergic reaction to an immunization.

(e) As applicable to the State Medicaid program and other payers, a vaccine ordered and administered in accordance with this Section shall be covered and reimbursed at no less than the rate the vaccine is reimbursed when ordered and administered by a physician.

(f) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to implement this Section.

(Source: P.A. 102-788, eff. 5-13-22.)