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North Carolina Pharmacists Now Can Give Flu Shots to Younger Children

pharmacist holding little girl

North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper signed legislation (HB 388) into law that allows children over 10 years of age to receive the influenza vaccine at local pharmacies without being required to see a pediatrician and without a prescription. The law takes effect on Oct. 1, 2019.1 2

The minimum age at which a child is currently allowed to get the flu shot at a local pharmacy in North Carolina is 14. The new law also allows pharmacists to administer flu vaccines to children between six and 10 years of age if they have a doctor’s prescription.2

According to pharmacist Ashley Zande at Waynesville Pharmacy in Waynesville, North Carolina:

People find it a lot more convenient to come to the pharmacy oftentimes because we don’t require an appointment and we’re a lot more easily accessible than the doctors’ offices.3

Dr. Kimberly Bowen adds: “We are very quick about what we do. You don’t have to spend more than 5 minutes in here.”3

The new law also gives pharmacists in North Carolina the authority to administer a flu vaccine to a child six years of age and up if there is a “specific prescription order initiated by a prescriber following the physical examination of the patient by the prescriber.” Pharmacists are also allowed to administer the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) and the hepatitis A vaccine to patients over the age of 18.1 4

Currently, pharmacists in North Carolina can administer the following vaccines: pneumococcal polysaccharide or pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, herpes zoster vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, meningococcal polysaccharide or meningococcal conjugate 26 vaccines and serogroup B meningococcal vaccines, tetanus-diphtheria, tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and pertussis and tetanus and 28 diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis, or tetanus toxoid vaccines.1

The growing shift towards giving pharmacists the authority to administer vaccines raises numerous concerns about the role of pharmacists, rather than physicians, in delivering vaccines to the public. There are safety concerns because pharmacists are pressured by corporations owning pharmacies to work faster in order to meet sales quotas.5

Among other safety issues are the lack of a physical exam prior to vaccination in a pharmacy setting and questions about whether pharmacists will consistently provide people with vaccine risk information before vaccines are administered and will effectively monitor, record and report vaccine reactions. 


References:

1 House Bill 388. North Carolina General Assembly.
2 Brown EA. New NC law lowers age for pharmacy flu shots, expands vaccines for adults. Citizen Times June 4, 2019.
3 Hodge R. New NC Law Aims to Increase Flu Shots for Kids, Expand Adult Vaccines. ABC13 WLOS June 4, 2019.
4 Ellis E. NCMS Weekly Legislative Update. North Carolina Medical Society May 28, 2019.

5 Parpia R. The Safety Implications of Pharmacists Giving Vaccines. The Vaccine Reaction Apr. 22, 2017.

6 Responses

  1. “People find it a lot more convenient to come to the pharmacy oftentimes because we don’t require an appointment and we’re a lot more easily accessible than the doctors’ offices.
    This statement sums up the abhorrent level of ignorance and sheer laziness of the American public. Not only is Big Pharma not liable for their lousy products, they can bypass the doctors expertise for the sake of “convenience “??? No, this is about PROFIT…not safety, not efficacy…only $$$$.

  2. If people have not availed themselves to the mountains of studies and information on the horrors of vaccines, they need to. The American citizens are footing the bill for the damage. Bravo Janet! You are spot on. Each new vaccine makes big pharma an extra $30 Billion per year.

  3. No, they don’t provide people with vaccine risk information. They don’t even know there’s a risk. I was in a pharmacy when they announced flu shots could be given quickly and to “please step up to the counter”. When I did so, and asked if they knew the risks, they denied there were any; they didn’t know there was aluminum or mercury in the vaccines, and they didn’t know these were neurotoxins. I told them to read the inserts and then left, disgusted.

  4. Not only are pharmacists NOT physicians so there is no exam or history taken beforehand, but there is now a plethora of bursitis damage especially in the elderly because the shots are being administered too high up on the shoulder & not in the muscle. [ lack of physiology training?] . NO THEY DO NOT GIVE YOU THE PRODUCT PACKAGE INSERT ! If you ask they often can’t find one or demand that you read it on the spot [print is very tiny]. The only warnings you are given is the CDC release form which is VERY INCOMPLETE; and that is only to cover their butts from liability. Never taken a flu shot & never will. Most VAERS money paid out is currently going to elderly flu shot victims yet once again the vaccine was deemed ineffective this year.

  5. Sure, let’s make sure we get those poisons into children easier and faster to ensure continued chronic illness throughout their lives. There’s no free lunch. Beware of the shots that are harming your children.

  6. All I can say is how disgusting. The pharmaceutical companies will do anything to get the public easy access to life threatening vaccines.

    Talked to a nurse this week who is not vaccinating her newborn after she witnessed in a pediatricians office, a baby who was given multiple shots in each leg. She said right there I made up my mind they are not going to do that to my baby.

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