Module 1: Immunizations and the Role of Pharmacists

Immunizations and Public Health Achievements

- Vaccination programs are considered one of the 10 greatest public health achievements.
- Rates of illness and deaths due to vaccine-preventable diseases have drastically declined since the introduction of vaccines.
- Smallpox was declared eradicated worldwide in 1980, and polio is close to being eradicated.

Public Health Goals

- The Health People initiative provides goals and measurable objective to improve the patient's overall health and well-being.
- Goals and objectives revised every 10 years.
- Objectives include targets for increasing vaccination rates and reducing vaccine-preventable infections

Healthy People 2030 Goals

- 13 Objectives
- 8: Maintaining or increasing vaccination rates
- 4: Reducing the rate of infections

Disparities in Vaccination Rates

- Rural and minority populations tend to have lower vaccination rates.
- Access to services hesitancy are key contributors to lower rates.
- Vaccine campaigns for these communities include: acknowledgment of social injustices and inequities, engagement with trusted community leaders and organizations, culturally appropriate messages, information about vaccine safety, and access to the vaccines

Pharmacists as Immunizers

- Pharmacists are integral to increasing vaccination rates for adults.
- FIP: Pharmacists can promote immunizations by fulfilling the following roles: educator, facilitator, immunizer

Guidelines for Pharmacy-Based Immunization Advocacy and Administration

- Prevention
- Partnership
- Quality
- Documentation
- Empowerment

Opportunities for Advocacy and Collaboration

- Immunization Neighborhoods: all stakeholders involved in meeting the immunization goals of patients and communities
- Directly involved with collaboration, coordination, and communication.
- Ways to be involved: immunization coalitions (national and state level, community partners and activists working together to promote immunizations), health departments (play a vital role during public health emergencies and pandemics, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO): guidance document and templates for establishing partnerships between pharmacies and state and territorial health agencies to meed influenza vaccination needs, especially during pandemics), medical reserve corps (volunteer organization for medical and public health professionals, more than 800 units throughout the US).

What is the definition of collaboration, coordination, and communication among all those involved in meeting the immunization goals of patients and communities?

Immunization Neighborhood

Summary

- Advocate for vaccines
- Be knowledgeable and resourceful
- Protect your patients and community
- Serve as a leader
- Collaborate

Opportunities for Advocacy and Collaboration include:

Membership in state immunization coalition to serve as an expert on policy and practice issues affecting pharmacy

Under the direction of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Healthy People initiative has identified the following as a goal for 2030:

Increase the proportion of persons who are vaccinated annually against seasonal influenza

Which of the following diseases have been eradicated worldwide, allowing vaccination to be discontinued?

Smallpox

The National Vaccine Advisory Committee 2013 Standards for Adult Immunization Practice and the 1026 International Pharmaceutical Federation globally report pharmacists as:

Integral to increasing vaccination rates

Which of the following is one of the five guidelines identified by the APhA Board of Trustees in 2019 to assist pharmacists in incorporating immunization activities into their practice?

Prevention