AAPA Attends Immunization Cooperative Agreement Advisory Committee Meeting
AAPA recently participated with representatives from the public health, medical, and pharmacy community in the American Pharmacists Association/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (APhA/CDC) Immunization Cooperative agreement advisory committee meeting. Discussed was the need for collaboration among immunization stakeholders — including PAs — given the upcoming seasonal influenza season and the second wave of the H1N1 influenza.
Stakeholders dealt with what we know will happen: H1N1 vaccine supply is uncertain and seasonal influenza vaccine supply and disease is fairly certain. For the 2009-2010 season, 119 million doses of seasonal vaccine are expected from manufacturers. As of August 2009, over 51 million doses of seasonal vaccine became available of which 90 percent of the total doses will be distributed by the end of October.
Participants agreed that their primary goal is to support public health goals of protecting as many people as possible from influenza (i.e. those at highest risk) and doing so with as little social and economic disruption as possible.
Participants recommended that health care providers begin seasonal immunizations as soon as the vaccine is available and throughout the season until vaccine runs out. Health care providers should make sure their patients are aware that H1N1 vaccination will overlap with seasonal vaccination.
Presently, dissemination of information about the Novel H1N1 influenza vaccine is being crafted by the CDC and will be based on key variables that will have the most impact: vaccine availability and public demand.
For more information about seasonal flu and H1N1 preparedness, go to www.flu.gov.
Doug Scott, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
