Vaccination Orders During a Public Health Emergency.

Many states also have laws providing for mandatory vaccinations during a public health emergency or outbreak of a communicable disease. Generally, the power to order such actions rests with the governor of the state, the state board of health, or the state health officer. For example, in Hawaii, the Governor has the power to supplement the state’s existing compulsory vaccination programs and institute additional programs in the event of a civil defense emergency period.18 Arizona also authorizes the Governor, during a state of emergency or state of war emergency in which there is an occurrence or the imminent threat of smallpox or other highly contagious and highly fatal disease, “to issue orders that mandate treatment or vaccination of persons who are diagnosed with illness resulting from exposure or who are reasonably believed to have been exposed or who may reasonably be expected to be exposed.”. In Florida, upon declaration of a public health emergency, the state health officer may order an individual to be vaccinated...

A.R.S. 36-787

C. In addition to the authority provided in subsections A and B, during a state of emergency or state of war emergency in which there is an occurrence or the imminent threat of smallpox, plague, viral hemorrhagic fevers or a highly contagious and highly fatal disease with transmission characteristics similar to smallpox, the governor, in consultation with the director of the department of health services, may issue orders that:

1. Mandate treatment or vaccination of persons who are diagnosed with illness resulting from exposure or who are reasonably believed to have been exposed or who may reasonably be expected to be exposed.

2. Isolate and quarantine persons.

D. Law enforcement officials of this state and the national guard shall enforce orders issued by the governor under this section.