Pharmacy Daily | Uniform COVAX rules needed: Guild

STATE and Territory Governments are being urged to implement uniform regulations to enable pharmacists to support the rollout of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine to infants, should the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommend its use.

Following the Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA's) decision to grant provisional approval for paediatric doses of the vaccine to be given to children aged six months to five years (PD 19 Jul), pharmacist immunisers in some jurisdictions will automatically be authorised to administer shots in-line with the regulator's guidelines, while their peers in other parts of the country will be unable to play a role in the vaccination campaign, without changes to regulations.

Welcoming the TGA's decision, Pharmacy Guild of Australia Acting National President, Nick Panayiaris, said a nationally consistent approach was needed, if ATAGI issues advice that the vaccine should be given to infants.

"If that recommendation comes through it is critical that all the States and Territories look to amend their regulations to enable pharmacists to administer the vaccine to children within this age group," he said.

"We need to act cohesively and swiftly to protect the children in this age group, particularly as we are seeing a significant surge in COVID-19 cases across Australia.

"The Guild urges all jurisdictions to act uniformly as a matter of priority so that the approvals for pharmacists to administer the vaccine to children in this age group are consistent across Australia.

"States and Territories acting to enable pharmacists to administer the vaccine will ensure it reaches as many individuals in this cohort of patients as possible."

Under the TGA's provisional approval children aged six months to five years should receive two 25 microgram doses of the vaccine at least 28 days apart.