Pharmacy Daily | Use pharmacy to boost vax rates

PHARMACIST immunisers should be engaged to support efforts to ensure children in Victoria receive vaccines as scheduled, Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, believes.

Tassone was responding to a Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) statement noting two-in-three families in the State had delayed or cancelled appointments to have their children vaccinated since Jun as a result of the COVID-19 crisis in the state.

The DHHS warned disruptions to routine childhood immunisations put individual children at increased risk of contracting vaccine-preventable illnesses.

"It's essential that pharmacist immunisers are fully utilised to the full scope of their training, and this includes for vaccination of children against the preventable diseases we have received training in," Tassone said.

"It is of concern that two out of three families have delayed or cancelled an appointment for their child to receive a scheduled vaccination.

"The Guild and the pharmacy community at large would encourage patients and their families to not hold off on important medical and health care during the COVID pandemic.

"It is understandable that some families may feel hesitant to visit hospitals or other health care facilities during the COVID pandemic - and these organisations are taking every step they can to assure patient safety and limit the risk of infection.

"Community pharmacies have also taken a significant number of steps and measures to maintain the safety of their teams and patients visiting their practices during the COVID pandemic.

"In saying that, the Victorian community have shown their strong support and satisfaction for pharmacist immunisation and the Guild strongly believes that community pharmacy is part of the overall solution in increasing vaccination rates amongst the public.

"Historically, previous approaches to childhood immunisation in Victoria have delivered high vaccination rates which is pleasing, but if there is a risk of those levels decreasing and losing our grip on 'herd immunity' then we must simply re-look at our approach to delivering this vital public health policy, and that may very well include utilising community pharmacy."