Did you know that pharmacists in 43 states, including Maryland, have the authority to administer immunizations to patients? Did you know that the public sees pharmacists as their most accessible healthcare professional? These two facts make Operation Immunization a valuable learning experience for both student pharmacists and the community we serve.
Purpose:
Recognizing the need for education and increased opportunities to receive immunizations, the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) collaboratively developed Operation Immunization. This was the first service project of this magnitude in the history of APhA or SNPhA. This program is an immunization education campaign designed to increase the public’s knowledge of immunizations while raising the number of adults and children receiving immunizations. Participants include all of the APhA-ASP chapters with the help of trained practitioners and other healthcare professionals trained and certified to give immunizations.
While Operation Immunization is designed to benefit the public, your college campus is a great place to begin raising immunization rates and increasing awareness. Currently, the American College of Physicians recommends that the annual influenza vaccine be required for every healthcare worker with direct patient care. These vaccines can effectively be given throughout the year and will prevent more than 50,000 deaths alone. APhA-ASP encourages participants to continually increase community awareness of immunization information and advise patients on where they can obtain the proper immunizations year-round.