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Expanding Vaccination Rates by Allowing More People to Give Them

Story Highlights
  • In the U.S., many non-physician medical professionals, including nurses, medical students, pharmacists and dentists have the authority to administer vaccines.
  • Dentists can give a flu vaccine with as little as three hours of training, while pharmacists can give many types of vaccines to both adults and adolescents with online training course
  • Pharmacists can give many types of vaccines to both adults and adolescents following completion of 12-hour online training courses of self-study, one live seminar and an injection technique check.

In 2009, public health officials in the United States responded to a predicted “heavy flu season” by passing a regulation allowing dentists, pharmacists, paramedics, nursing students and medical students to administer the annual influenza vaccine.1 Since then, it has become commonplace to see invitations to “get your flu shot” at the grocery store pharmacy, in drug stores, and anywhere any level of medical care is offered.

Gone are the days when we could assume that the person administering vaccinations by injection has been thoroughly trained—both in how to safely administer them and understand how the ingredients in the vaccines might interact with each other, as well as how to treat any potential adverse reactions.

Now there are multiple online courses for training medical professionals of all kinds to become “vaccine certified.” These courses are generally offered to anyone in a medical field of study, from pharmacists and nurses to medical students and dentists.

The Road to Vaccine Certification Status

In a 10-hour, self-paced, online course offered by the University of Minnesota, dentists are promised that at the end of this comprehensive course, they will be able to:

  1. Recognize the public health impact of vaccine-preventable disease in the US.
  2. Identify the levels at which a dentist can undertake vaccine advocacy.
  3. Appreciate dentists’ unique opportunities to contribute to disease prevention in the US.
  4. Obtain an in-depth understanding of immunology as it relates to vaccines.
  5. Identify patients who have contraindications to vaccine administration.
  6. Describe the vaccine-preventable disease influenza. 
  7. Recognize populations at risk for influenza.
  8. Explain societal impact of influenza.
  9. Describe CDC recommendations on who should receive the influenza vaccine.
  10. Identify contraindications and limitations for each influenza vaccine.
  11. Describe common and uncommon adverse reactions associated with the types of influenza vaccine.
  12. Describe proper intramuscular injection influenza vaccine administration.
  13. Detail treatment procedures for patients experiencing local and systemic adverse effects secondary to vaccine administration.
  14. Describe requirements for proper vaccine storage and handling.
  15. Detail the necessary steps to set up a vaccine practice.2

In a three-hour online course, the University of Minnesota claims to be able to teach a more basic version that would still allow dentists to attain the degree of expertise to administer flu shots to their patients.

For pharmacists, the online training is broader, but then it also qualifies pharmacists to administer more than just the flu vaccine. The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) offers a three-part model comprising 12 hours of self-study in modules focusing on various aspects of vaccination including case studies and an assessment exam, an eight-hour live seminar including a final exam, and a final in-person assessment of intramuscular and subcutaneous injection techniques.”3

One of the five self-study modules making up that first 12-hour study section explains how the immune system works, covering both active and passive immunity and explaining how vaccines were developed and how they cause an immune system reaction. That same single module also goes into the various types of vaccines as well as timing of vaccinations and a discussion of the concept of herd immunity.

The other four modules cover such subjects as the characteristics and dangers of reportedly vaccine-preventable diseases, the role of the pharmacist in improving vaccine uptake, identifying target groups for vaccination according to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, recognizing contraindications and adverse reactions to vaccines. This module also provides information on how to educate consumers and combat the “common myths about vaccines.”

There is a separate module dedicated to the nuts and bolts of managing a pharmacy-based vaccination program, including marketing strategies, reimbursement concerns and information on liability issues and how the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program works.

The live seminar reinforces the self-taught section of the course and covers strategies for dealing with patient concerns about vaccines and how to discuss “current evidence that explores the relationship between autism and vaccines.”4 It also covers information so that certificate holders will be able to recognize emergency reactions to vaccines and know how to manage them when they occur.

Safety Not Listed in Top Concerns of Pharmacists

The focus on pharmacy-based administration of vaccines tends to be on the perceived benefits, such as more flexible hours of operation (evenings and weekends), ease of scheduling (walk-in appointments are common in pharmacies), convenience (number of locations), and high traffic volume.5

As reported in a survey study of pharmacists from states with differing policies about pharmacy-based vaccine administration,6 the primary drawbacks to such programs relate to cost issues, vaccine storage and administration concerns, and patient education.7 In that study, 57 percent of the pharmacists surveyed reported that insurance coverage did not adequately cover the costs for their time, administration costs, or vaccine storage.

Not all insurance carriers cover vaccinations given in pharmacies. The challenges of communicating vaccine status also was mentioned as an issue, both in terms of making sure that schools, parents and physicians were aware that pharmacists could give vaccines and in ensuring access to electronic databases so vaccine status could be tracked and shared.

The minimal training called for to prepare pharmacists—and other health professionals such as dentists—for administering potentially dangerous medical interventions does not seem to be raising many alarms among the public. Perhaps it should.


References:

1 Pfieffer S. Dentists, Paramedics Can Now Administer Flu Vaccines. WBUR Boston Aug. 12, 2009.
2 Immunization Delivery for Dentists: An On-Line Course. University of Minnesota, Continuing Dental Education 2017.
3 Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery. American Pharmacists Association Dec. 1, 2016.
4 Ibid.
5 Haggan M. Barriers to Pharmacist Vaccination. The AJP Online June 9, 2017.
6 Islam J, et al. Opportunities and Challenges of Adolescent and Adult Vaccination Administration Within Pharmacies in the United States. Biomedical Informatics Insights Feb. 16, 2017.
7 Zimlich R. Cost, Perception Remain Barriers in Pharmacy-Based Vaccination. Medical Economics June 19, 2017.

10 Responses

  1. One of the concerns that I have had is that an individual might forget he or she has had a flu shot and get another, a double dose of the vile poison. This could be especially true of the elderly.

  2. “it has become commonplace to see invitations to “get your flu shot” at the grocery store pharmacy”

    Indeed! I was approached by a young man while grocery shopping several years ago to go over and get a Flu shot at the Pharmacy. I refused and sent him on his way and then reported the incident to the manager of the store letting him know that I would no longer be shopping there any more. Stupid drug pushers. Disgusting.

  3. Last season, 2 Counties in GA had “drive by” flu vaccine clinics where people could just drive by and get jabbed!

  4. We should note the increase in VAERS reports of shoulder injury following vaccination after allowing pharmacists and other non-MD’s to administer vaccines. They don’t seem to know exactly where to insert the needle.

    Injection-Induced Axillary Nerve Injury After a Drive-Through Flu Shot
    http://www.consultant360.com/articles/injection-induced-axillary-nerve-injury-after-drive-through-flu-shot

    Iatrogenic axillary neuropathy after intramuscular injection of the deltoid muscle.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17515691

    Axillary nerve injury caused by intradeltoid muscular injection: A case report
    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1058274601229620

  5. The first thing that comes to mind is the word greedy. It’s pharma just finding another avenues to get more money. Second thing that comes to my mind is the fact that dentists & pharmacists are brain washed into thinking they’re helping society. Can anyone say “PROPAGANDA” The simple minded people of America need to gain some discernment. My son is vaccine damaged & it’s been hell. We didn’t make it into the VACCINE DEATH & INJURY (yes death) program. I have beat myself up over being led to the slaughter house my our old pediatrician. To read comments from ignorant people that antivaxxers should be put in jail or have their kids taken away etc.. Tell me friends who should be sitting behind bars?

  6. Here in Georgia not only does the school have a free flu shot drive for all the students there are several grocery stores that will “pay” you to get a flu shot. They will actually give you a reward to get a flu shot. Talk about desperation! I can only imagine the kind of “reward” the big pharma’s hold over their heads to make them push it soo much. It’s a very sick game of Russian roulette!

  7. Couldn’t agree more with the commenters! Let’s put it this way — anytime the government is strong-arming its agenda under the guise of “helping you”, it’s NOT for your own good!! I believe there is strong evidence that this is a form of reproductive control via infertility, and also population control as people fall prey to auto-immune and other diseases associated with vaccines. Ronald Reagan said it well, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the GOVERNMENT AND I’M HERE TO HELP!” Ummm, no, STAY BACK.

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