Proprietor of Dubbo’s Orana Mall Pharmacy Lisa Gibson is keen to see immunisation rates rise as a result of trained pharmacists vaccinating people over the age of 16 against the likes of whooping cough.
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On January 1 the state government announced that trained pharmacists had joined general practitioners and accredited nurses in being able to give a range of injections.
Trained pharmacists, including Ms Gibson, can now give both the diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough combination vaccine, and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, in addition to the flu vaccine.
Ms Gibson said vaccinations in pharmacies in 2018 contributed to the lowest rates of flu in Australia since 2013.
“There were 52, 000 cases reported in comparison to 250, 000 in the previous year,” she said.
“Community pharmacy provides another option for patients to access vaccination services.”
The pharmacist said the January 1 changes making vaccinations “more accessible” aimed to increase the number of people getting them.
“Community pharmacy can offer after-hours immunisations later at night and on weekends which we hope will increase uptake and benefit the wider community particularly protecting newborn babies against whooping cough,” she said.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard is also urging vaccination against whooping cough.
“Now, with this additional range of vaccinations available from pharmacists, we want to encourage new grandparents, carers of infants and partners of pregnant women to get vaccinated to ensure they don’t catch whooping cough and pass it on to their babies,” he said.
Vaccinations in pharmacies are conducted in a private space and reported to the Australian Immunisation Register.
