Continuing as Partners in Immunization: Updates to Practice and Legislation for Pediatric Pharmacy Immunizations
Immunizations are an essential public health intervention for pediatric patients. Since the publication of the Pediatric Pharmacy Association’s White Paper, Pharmacists as Partners in Pediatric Immunizations, in December 2024, many changes in state laws and federal processes have occurred.1 In this paper, the members of the Pediatric Pharmacy Association’s Immunizations Committee provide updated information and links to state resources to ensure that pediatric pharmacists and other healthcare providers understand some of the changes to provide the best care for their pediatric patients.
Pharmacists need to be familiar with state pharmacy practice laws, as these govern pharmacist immunization authority outside of the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness act. This act allows pharmacists to provide COVID-19 and influenza vaccines to children as young as 3 years old through December 2029.2 The Table provides an update to the state specific pharmacist immunization regulation and adds information about state specific processes (eg, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] schedule, follow state protocol, collaborative practice agreement) that pharmacists must follow to provide immunizations to children. It is important to note that all immunizations provided through the Vaccine for Children program must adhere to the CDC’s immunization recommendations.3 For additional evidence-based resources for the pharmacist, the American Academy of Pediatrics has released an independent 2025 immunization schedule and posted it as an open resource on their website.4 Additionally, at the time of publication, it was noted that multiple states have announced changes to statewide pharmacist vaccine authority as it applies to COVID-19 vaccination.5 As all states now provide pharmacists with some degree of immunization authority, and this area continues to expand, pharmacists must stay up to date on regulatory changes that impact their practice.
Contributor Notes