On January 12th, the Governor declared a Public Health Emergency for all of New York State in response to the increasingly severe flu season. The Order allows NYS certified pharmacists to administer flu vaccinations to patients between six months and 18 years of age.
Last week, the Chapter delivered a call to action from the NYS Health Department to encourage all healthcare providers to get vaccinated, information on availability of the vaccine (www.preventinfluenza.org/ivats ) and supporting clinical information from ACP Annals of Internal Medicine.
In 2008, the Chapter supported the legislation that enabled pharmacists to immunize with the requirement that they report vaccine administration to the patient’s primary care provider.