Pharmacy Daily | Scrap barriers to pharmacist flu vax

PHARMACISTS should be allowed to administer influenza vaccinations to children from as young as six months of age, a US paediatrician believes.

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Clinical Professor, Health Policy, Management and Paediatrics, Dr Irwin Redlener, told Pharmacy Daily he supported measures that would "expand access to flu vaccines".

In an article by CNN Health published earlier this week, which noted 40% of US children were not vaccinated against the flu, with more than 140 children dying in the US last year, Redlener said, "parents should have no barriers to getting a flu shot" for their child.

"There is really no reason why a licensed pharmacist should be prohibited from administering vaccines," he said.

However, he added that children should be "at least six months of age", have no history of allergic reaction to the vaccine or any component thereof, show no evidence of serious infection or significant fever at the time of vaccination, or have a history of immune deficiency.

"Otherwise, we should be very thankful that pharmacists have the skills and willingness to help keep all of us protected from influenza," he said.

While Redlener described lowering age-limits on pharmacist administration of flu vaccines as a "no brainer", Royal Australian College of General Practice (RACGP) President, Dr Harry Nespolon, expressed concerns about potential adverse events.

"Pharmacists do not have the medical training required to safely deliver vaccinations and respond to associated risks that can occasionally occur, particularly for children as young as six months," he said.

"I fear it will take a child as young as six months suffering anaphylaxis or a serious seizure caused by a high fever in a public retail environment to make people realise this could cost lives."

Currently age restrictions on pharmacist administration of flu vaccinations in Australia vary between states and territories, with Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania, allowing pharmacists to immunise patients aged 10 years and older, while the South Australian Government is reviewing its regulations with plans to change the age limit to 10 under consideration.

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) National President, Dr Chris Freeman, voiced his support for reducing the minimum age for pharmacist administration of flu vaccination to 10 across all states and territories.

"The jurisdiction variances make it confusing for consumers and prevent pharmacists from providing life-saving vaccines to persons at risk," he said.

"[However] we don't believe that at this point in time there is a need to provide vaccinations to children below the age of 10 years."