Senate File 125 will receive its subcommittee hearing Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 1 p.m.
The bill requires immunization information to be included on the medical examiner death investigation form for children under age three.
Supporters of the bill are encouraged to submit public comments here.
They can also speak during the subcommittee or reach out to Senators Jim Carlin, Mark Lofgren and Joe Bolkcom, who will serve on the subcommittee.
Currently, the form lists several questions regarding the last thing the child ate, but there is only one question on vaccinations — and that is a simple question as to whether or not the child is up to date on vaccinations.
The Centers for Disease Control’s Publication Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation, Chapter 9 Certification of Unexplained Infant Deaths, lists documenting an infant’s medical history — including immunization history — as the “minimum to consider an infant death investigation complete or adequate and amenable to certification.”
The CDC’s most recent 2020 “Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Investigation Reporting Form (SUNDIRF)” on page 4 question 13 asks, “In the 72 hours before death, was the infant given any vaccinations or medications?”
There is a chart provided to fill out the vaccine name, dose last given, the date and time given and an area to provide additional comments.
Supporters of the bill believe Iowa should be doing this every time but is not.
