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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 30, 2014 01:23 PM |
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| From: | Representative Seth M. Grove |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Childhood Flu Immunizations |
| In the near future, I will be introducing legislation that amends the Pharmacy Practice Act to allow pharmacist the ability to administer the flu vaccine to patients over the age of 7 with parental consent. This legislation would also allow licensed pharmacy interns to administer the flu vaccine to children over the age of 7 under the direct supervision of a pharmacist who possesses an immunization license. Currently, 40 states allow licensed pharmacy interns to administer vaccinations. Last session my bill, HB 776, originally covered all CDC approved immunizations over the age of 7. This compromise legislation, identical to SB 819, passed the Senate 50-0. No medical groups opposed the bill. The CDC recommends that all children at least six months old receive a flu shot every year, but only about 55% of Pennsylvania children do. Pennsylvania’s more than 6,600 certified pharmacist immunizers have been safely providing immunizations to adults for over 10 years. In 2013, pharmacists administered more than 940,000 immunizations in the Commonwealth. This would allow parents to have another safe and convenient option to keep their children healthy. Another added benefit of this legislation is to help our active duty, military veterans and their dependents. Under TRICARE, the military’s health plan, all immunizations administered by a pharmacist are covered by the health plan without any co-payment. This bill would make it possible for the children of military personnel to receive free flu vaccinations. If you would like to join me in cosponsoring this legislation, please contact Jordan Grant by phone at 717-767 3947 or by email Jgrant@pahousegop.com Previous cosponsors of similar legislation last session include: Delozier, Barbin, Barrar, Benninghoff, Bizzarro, Boback, Bradford, R. Brown, Burns, Caltagirone, Cohen, Davis, Ellis, English, Evankovich, Everett, Fabrizio, Farry, Gabler, Galloway, Gibbons, Gingrich, Heffley, Helm, Kauffman, M.K. Keller, Kortz, Maher, Masser, Mustio, Oberlander, Pyle, Reed, Rock, Sabatina, Santarsiero, Saylor, Tallman, Vereb, Watson. |
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| View Attachment | ||
Introduced as HB182