Vaccines Are Major Contributors to Global Health

Vaccinations are a huge success story in global health care and have helped to eliminate smallpox and nearly eradicate polio. According to the CDC, immunization against deadly diseases saves million to million lives per year.¹

The COVID-19 vaccines are no different. Vaccine effectiveness studies provide a growing body of evidence that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of contracting the virus, including severe disease, in fully vaccinated individuals by 90% or more.² Yet vaccine hesitancy or outright opposition is prolonging the pandemic.

According to the results of a survey conducted in August 2021 by Morning Consult, a data intelligence company, 18% of Americans are opposed to getting vaccinated and 10% are hesitant.³

Pharmacists can help combat hesitancy and opposition by providing patients with the facts about vaccines, including efficacy and safety data.

In this issue’s Cover Feature, Kathleen Kenny, PharmD, RPh, discusses how the pharmacist-administered immunization movement is propelling the profession forward. In addition, in the OTC Focus article, Yvette C. Terrie, BSPharm, RPh, provides information on whether patients should avoid taking pain relievers before getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, Lisa Ruohoniemi, PharmD, offers information on travel vaccines in the Patient Focus article.

Look for coverage of flu season and influenza vaccines online at PharmacyTimes.com. In our influenza resource center, pharmacists can find information about flu season predictions, coadministration of the vaccine with routine immunizations, and the role pharmacy technicians play in this year’s influenza vaccine campaign.

Elsewhere in this issue, we provide tips on treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and dry eye disease.

In this issue we also are commemorating our finalists in the Next-Generation Pharmacist Awards program, which recognizes exceptional pharmacists, pharmacy students, and technicians who have gone above and beyond in caring for patients and advancing the profession. The awards ceremony will be held October 8, 2021, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Since 2010, the program has been held with Parata Systems, the industry’s most comprehensive pharmacy technology solutions provider. Look for the list of winners in the October issue of Pharmacy Times.

Thank you for reading!