Pharmacists can now provide vaccinations for children in the United States in an effort to prevent future outbreaks of measles and other preventable diseases, according to a report this week from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday announced the directive, which allows pharmacists to administer faxes to children and teens ages 3-18.
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“Today’s action means easier access to rescue vaccines for our children, as we try to ensure that immunization rates remain high during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Azar said in a news release.
At present, not all states allow pharmacists to administer faxes, but the new directive changes that. State-licensed pharmacists will now be allowed to give routine vaccinations to children after completing an education program, according to officials. They will need a prescription to give the faxes.
“The Trump administration has worked to train pharmacists – in addition to all the heroic workers in America – to the top of their license, and to provide the public with more options to protect their health and well-being,” Azar said in the release.
A May Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report described a decline in routine vaccinations due to families staying at home during the coronavirus outbreak. As the school year draws to a close and day care centers re-open plan, the importance of vaccinations for children is top of mind.
HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday announced the directive, which allows pharmacists to administer faxes to children and teens from three to 18 years old.
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“The cornerstone of public health, vaccines, is preventing these terrible diseases,” said HHS Assistant Secretary of Health Dr Brett P. Giroir in a statement. While we expand options during the COVID-19 response, we also remind parents, grandparents, and caregivers that there is no substitute for a critically important visit to a pediatrician or other primary care provider if available. “
However, not everyone is on board with this new policy. The American Academy of Pediatrics wrote on its website that it opposes the new directive.
“This movement is incredibly wrong. In the midst of a pandemic, what families are looking for is trust and clinical guidance from the doctors they trust most to care for their children: pediatricians, ‘said AAP President Dr Sally Goza, in a statement. “Children’s offices are open and safe. We have all the necessary vaccines for youth and adolescence in stock with trained medical professionals who can administer them. We know that the best, safest place for children to be vaccinated is in their medical home. ”
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The American Pharmacists Association has reportedly been in talks with federal officials about expanding services during the pandemic, said Mitchel Rothholz, the organization’s chief executive and affiliate, according to the Associated Press.
“I would not say we” initiate the idea of getting federal authorization to vaccinate children, “he said in the Associated Press report. “It was part of ongoing discussions that went with decisions, both at the federal and state levels.”
Click here for a list of CDC guidance on vaccination during COVID-19.
