SACRAMENTO–Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1710 by Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa), a law that will grant pharmacists the authority to independently initiate and administer a COVID-19 vaccine once one has been approved and shown to be effective by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“As we wait for approval of a COVID-19 vaccine, it’s critical that we prepare the infrastructure to deliver that vaccine to as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time,” said Wood.
Pharmacists have been administering flu and other routine vaccinations for decades and previously played an important role in the deployment of the H1N1 vaccine during the 2009 pandemic.
“Nine in ten residents live within 5 miles of a community pharmacy in rural communities,” said Wood. “That’s critical for people across the state but especially in the Northern California and coastal district I represent. I’m grateful for the partnership we had with the California Pharmacists Association in ensuring passage of this legislation.”
Peer-reviewed and published studies in the United States have shown how pharmacist involvement in immunization, whether as educators, facilitators or vaccine administrators, has increased immunizations rates.
“If we want to get back to school, work and the ability to get together with family and friends, we need to make sure every Californian has access to an FDA-approved and effective vaccine as soon as it is available,” said Wood.
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