​Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many families have put off getting routine vaccines and immunization rates have dropped. To curb additional disease outbreaks, health officials are urging families to stay current with vaccines and well-care visits. Many doctor's offices and clinics have restructured their processes and policies to comply with disease prevention measures like social distancing. However, there is little guidance available on how to modify large-scale vaccination clinics to host them safely. To assist health departments and public health officials in planning for these clinics, Immunize Colorado recently developed an on-demand training on best practices and recommendations for conducting socially distanced vaccine clinics.

Childhood vaccination rates in Colorado dropped significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving communities vulnerable to preventable disease. To mitigate this drop in rates and get families back on track, CDPHE, Immunize Colorado and the AAP - Colorado Chapter recently developed a flyer and post card for parents and families. These resources communicate the importance of staying up to date with childhood vaccinations, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resources are translated into 12 languages, including English and Spanish.

Pharmacies serve as an important community-based access point for vaccinations and have the potential to better serve children by participating in the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. While all 50 states allow for pharmacists to vaccinate adults, not all states allow pharmacies to participate in the VFC program, limiting some patients’ ability to easily access the benefits of vaccination. Further, additional barriers such as differing state laws and regulations, retail pharmacy policies and pharmacists scope of practice can limit a state’s ability to deliver vaccinations to VFC-eligible children through pharmacies. The purpose of this document is to summarize common successes and challenges experienced across the US regarding pharmacists participation in and delivery of VFC vaccines.