Each year, about 60,000 Americans die of pneumococcal disease and 20,000 Americans die of influenza. In general, for every child who dies of a vaccine preventable disease, 400 adults die from the same diseases. Unfortunately, there is a lack of immunizations in underprivileged communities and in minorities such as African Americans. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources reports the national influenza vaccination rates for African Americans, based on Medicare claims, are one-half the rate for Caucasian beneficiaries. The majority of these individuals visited a doctor, but failed to receive an immunization vaccine.

Due to startling statistics like those mentioned above, the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) collaboratively developed Operation Immunization: The Nation's Student Pharmacists and Practitioners Protecting the Public Health in 1997. This was the first service project of this magnitude in the history of APhA or SNPhA. This program is an immunization awareness campaign designed to increase the public's knowledge of immunizations while raising the number of adults receiving immunizations. The campaign begins each fall in 95 communities and culminates during American Pharmacists Month, the month of October annually. Participants include the 95 APhA-ASP chapters with the help of trained practitioners and other healthcare professionals trained and certified to give immunizations. Pharmacists have been recognized as the most accessible health professionals, with the equivalent of the entire U.S. population (250 million people) who visit a pharmacy every week. Thus, pharmacists and student pharmacists have a major role to play in ensuring higher immunization rates, and in decreasing vaccine-preventable disease.

Operation Immunization consists of a promotional campaign designed to increase community awareness of immunization information and advise patients where they can obtain the proper immunizations. This campaign also promotes the implementation of immunization services in pharmacies. There are currently 46 states that allow pharmacists to immunize patients. Pharmacists in these states are then are approached by APhA-ASP chapters to provide immunization services at their pharmacy. Students and pharmacists are then encouraged to administer vaccinations and provide educational material to their patients as part of this campaign. In the states where pharmacists are not authorized to administer immunizations, chapters create partnerships with physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals to administer immunizations in a pharmacy. By having pharmacists administer immunizations or having the immunizations administered in a pharmacy, there is hope to increase the public's awareness of the important role both pharmacists and student pharmacists can have on public health issues.

A planning guide is sent to each of the APhA-ASP chapters to help them implement, manage and market an immunization advocacy campaign in their local community. Included in the guide is a timeline that provides a step by step approach on how to run the campaign and promotional materials used for Operation Immunization. Student chapters then send in a report of their activities to compete for Regional and National awards. Each year, the national winner receives a cash prize and presents their immunization program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Immunization Conference.

Through participation in this project, student pharmacists are providing the pharmacy profession with an excellent resource in the fight against the growing incidence, morbidity, and mortality associated with vaccine preventable diseases.

Source: http://www.pharmacist.com