Pharmacists can administer vaccines to children 5 and older under bill

State law only allows pharmacists to administer vaccinations to children nine years old

(Story Courtesy of Kentucky Today)

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – Legislation was approved by the Kentucky House on Monday to allow pharmacists to administer vaccinations to children five years of age and older, with the aim of increasing access to critical childhood immunization, according to its sponsor.

Rep. Danny Bentley, R-Russell, is the sponsor of House Bill 274. He notes Kentucky still lags other states in voluntary vaccinations, a situation widely attributed to access to medical care. In counties without pediatricians, access to common vaccines such as DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), meningitis, and the flu is often limited to local pharmacies.

“We’ve got counties without a pediatrician, while pharmacists are more readily available,” he stated. “By making these childhood vaccines more accessible to Kentuckians, we are taking the necessary steps to prevent a public health crisis. HB 274 does not mandate vaccination, but it does make these common immunizations more accessible to parents who make that decision by lowering the minimum age under state law to five years of age. We know it is safe, we know it is effective.”

Currently, state law only allows pharmacists to administer vaccinations to children nine years old and younger.

During consideration of HB 274 by the House Health Services Committee, Brooke Hudspeth, President of the Kentucky Pharmacist Association, spoke in favor, “This measure would provide pharmacists with the proper training to both screen for and administer various common immunizations. By increasing the capacity for voluntary vaccinations, we are keeping our children safe.”

The measure won unanimous approval, 94-0, and now heads to the Senate.