ce vaccine administration: ASSURING SAFETY
P H A R M A C Y T E C H N I C I A N S A F E T Y
P A T I E N T S A F E T Y
B U S I N E S S S A F E T Y
POPULAT I ON & PUBL I C HEALTH SAF ETY
HISTORY OF VACCINES Humans have been attempting to use what we now call vac- cines for over 1,000 years. For example, evidence suggests that an attempt to prevent disease using a rudimentary form of vaccination occurred in China around 1000 CE. Historical records suggest that in Turkey and Egypt, similar attempts were made to prevent disease using tissues and fluids from sick patients. In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner devel- oped the first smallpox vaccine, and nearly 100 years later, Louis Pasteur created a rabies vaccine. Since the work of Pasteur, the development of vaccines for infectious diseases has become refined with over 25 human diseases now con- trolled, in part, with vaccines. Vaccines to prevent over 10 other infectious diseases are currently in development worldwide. Vaccines exist to treat both viral and bacterial diseases. Vaccines provide protection against diseases spread from human to human, zoonotic diseases (diseases spread from animals to humans), and the environmental disease tetanus. These vaccines are estimated to save 2 to 3 million lives every year. The year 2020 clearly demonstrated the important links between finding vaccines for disease prevention and worldwide health. Scientists around the globe are working to find vaccines that are effective in preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is responsible for COVID. Even after successful vac- cines have been identified, scientists will continue to work to make improvements. Recent improvements in vaccine tech- nology have resulted in combining vaccines to allow for fewer injections, particularly for childhood vaccines. Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella have been successfully combined into a single vaccine allowing for one injection to vaccinate against these four childhood diseases. Other combinations include tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) in a single vaccine and a pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine that contains 23 different strains of pneumococcal pneumonia. I N T R O D U C T I O N
HISTORY OF VACCINES IN PHARMACIES Vaccines were traditionally provided by physicians in their offices or by the military for active-duty service members. However, in the 1990s, a physician from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH, focused attention on the accessibility and knowledge of pharmacists. As a result, pharmacists became actively involved in providing vaccines to patients. Over the past 30 years, pharmacies have become centers for providing annual influenza vaccines and, in states where other vaccines are allowed, pharmacists have provided vaccines to fight tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, pneumococcal pneumonia, the human papilloma virus, herpes zoster, and other infectious diseases. Pharmacy-provided vaccinations have helped the health care system improve vaccination rates across the coun- try. This success led the federal government to authorize pharmacists to provide vaccines regardless of state practice laws under an amendment to the PREP Act (Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act). Time will tell if this federal allowance is permanent or only a temporary measure during a world-wide pandemic. Patient access is another reason for increased vaccina - tion at pharmacies. Pharmacies are convenient locations for patients to receive vaccines. Pharmacies often have extended hours of operation in comparison to traditional physician offices. Pharmacies report vaccines to immuni- zation registries and communicate with other members of a health care team to allow all health care providers to track a patient’s vaccination history. Additionally, pharmacists are trained to properly screen patients for cautions and contrain- dications to vaccines. Pharmacy technicians who administer vaccines and manage the documentation are valuable mem- bers of the vaccination team, and their value is growing daily.
CPhT CONNECT www.pharmacy technician.org
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