Trump Administration Takes Action to Further Expand Access to Vaccines, COVID-19 Tests

Today, under the leadership of President Trump, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH), issued guidance - PDF* under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) authorizing qualified pharmacy technicians and State-authorized pharmacy interns to administer childhood vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines when made available, and COVID-19 tests, all subject to several requirements. This  guidance clarifies that the pharmacy intern must be authorized by the State or board of pharmacy in the State in which the practical pharmacy internship occurs, but this authorization need not take the form of a license from, or registration with, the State board of pharmacy.

"Pharmacists and their staff are critical to the COVID-19 response," said Assistant Secretary for Health ADM Brett P. Giroir, M.D. "Together with pediatricians and family physicians, they are ensuring that Americans receive the vaccines they need where they need it."

Childhood and COVID-19 Vaccines
On September 3, 2020, the Assistant Secretary for Health issued guidance authorizing state-licensed pharmacists to order and administer, and state-licensed or registered pharmacy interns acting under the supervision of the qualified pharmacist to administer, to persons ages three or older, COVID-19 vaccinations that have been authorized or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), provided that certain conditions are met—thereby making them “covered persons” under the PREP Act with respect to this activity. 
This guidance authorizes both qualified pharmacy technicians and State-authorized pharmacy interns acting under the supervision of a qualified pharmacist to administer to FDA-authorized or FDA-licensed COVID-19 vaccines to persons ages three or older and to administer FDA-authorized or FDA-licensed ACIP-recommended vaccines to persons ages three through 18 according to ACIP’s standard immunization schedule, if the requirements listed below are satisfied: 

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