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Where did you have your COVID vaccine administered --or any vaccine, for that matter?
There's a fair chance that the answer to that question is your local pharmacy -- a convenience that's made it easier for those who choose to be vaccinated in an effort to stem the pandemic.
It's a great convenience, and with shortages of medical professionals plaguing the nation, it seems smart and simple to receive preventive medicine this way.
But, barring action by the state, that will change once the federal state of emergency declared in 2020 ends (it recently was extended for another 90 days).
Bills before the state House (HB1530) and Senate (SB511, whose primary sponsor, state Sen. Judy Ward, represents some of our area now, and will represent most of the Juniata Valley if re-elected in November) would ensure that vaccine safety net is not taken away.
Pennsylvania has allowed pharmacists to administer vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control since 2002. Children age 9 and older have been eligible for some pharmacist-administered vaccines since 2015.
Pharmacies have given more than two-thirds of COVID vaccines, and nearly half of children's COVID vaccines -- as they became eligible -- were received at a pharmacy.
The Pennsylvania Department of State calls pharmacists "critical public health partners in the commonwealth's plan to increase convenient access to COVID-19 vaccines."
But for many vaccines, outside of emergency orders, pharmacies can only act as providers -- and expect reimbursement from insurers for doing so -- under special arrangements with doctors. Without such an arrangement, and without an emergency declaration in place, it will become less convenient to receive recommended vaccinations without a doctor's visit.
Whether standard childhood vaccines or those to address specific needs -- not just the COVID pandemic, but past outbreaks of disease, or routine prevention (think Shingles) -- vaccines can be administered safely, easily and cost effectively by your local pharmacist.
The legislature must act on these bills before Pennsylvanians lose access to beneficial health care.