ACTION ALERT: Please Ask Legislators to OPPOSE HB1040 Which Enables Pharmacists to Administer Vaccines to Toddlers and Children Without Appropriate Oversight
TEXT OF HB1040 – Health Occupations – Pharmacists – Administration of Vaccinations:
Authorizing a pharmacist to administer certain vaccinations to an individual who is at least 3 years old but under the age of 18 years; altering the age of an individual to whom a pharmacist may administer certain vaccinations; requiring a pharmacist to administer certain vaccinations under a written protocol; repealing the requirement that individuals in a certain age group have a certain prescription in order for a pharmacist to be allowed to administer a certain vaccination to the individual; etc.
Note: This bill is cross-filed with SB736. Read our call to action for SB736.
why icm opposes HB1040
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Pharmacists are not trained or equipped to obtain a full medical history of each patient before administering vaccines to small children, particularly small children age 3-11. Pharmacists administering vaccines to small children risk doing so despite unreported contraindications, while adverse reactions may be undetected and unreported to their primary care provider.
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This act is proposed as an emergency measure, introduced under the State of Emergency established in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. There is currently no Covid-19 vaccine licensed for administration to children age 3-11; it's inappropriate and unnecessary to accelerate passage of this bill, particularly when there is no shortage of hospital care, or emergency condition which necessitates vaccination of children by a pharmacist rather than primary care provider.
- If a Covid-19 vaccine is licensed for administration to children aged 3-16, it will be important for these children to be vaccinated by their primary care providers who can carefully assess whether the vaccine is appropriate for each pediatric patient. Currently there are 982 U.S. deaths associated with Covid-19 vaccination reported in VAERS, compared to an average of about 40 reported deaths annually associated with all influenza vaccines combined. Covid-19 vaccines confer possible risks at 20-30 times the rate of influenza vaccines, and they have not been exhaustively tested. It's tremendously inappropriate and dangerous to administer these vaccines to children without rigorous oversight from the child's regular healthcare providers.
Who to contact about HB1040
There will be a hearing for HB1040 before the Health and Government Operations Committee on 3/4/21 at 1:30 PM.
URGENT: We’re asking all members to contact HB40 Sponsor Delegate Kelly, and call and email the members of Health and Government Operations Committee to let them know, in your own words, why you oppose HB1040.
Please Call and Email Sponsor Delegate Kelly:
Delegate Ariana B. Kelly
Pho 410-841-3642 | 301-858-3642 Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3642
e-mail: Ariana.Kelly@house.state.md.us
Please post comments on Delegate Kelly’s Facebook page
If you’re a constituent of hers – in District 16 – let her know!
Please copy and paste the following email addresses of the Health and Government Operations Committee members into the BCC section of your email in opposition of HB1040:
Please call the offices of the Health and Government Operations Committee members in opposition of HB1040:
Bagnall, Heather 410-841-3406 | 301-858-3406
Barron, Erek L. 410-841-3692 | 301-858-3692
Belcastro, Lisa 410-841-3833 | 301-858-3833
Bhandari, Harry 410-841-3526 | 301-858-3526
Carr, Alfred C., Jr. 410-841-3638 | 301-858-3638
Charles, Nick 410-841-3707 | 301-858-3707
Chisholm, Brian 410-841-3206 | 301-858-3206
Cullison, Bonnie 410-841-3883 | 301-858-3883
Hill, Terri L. 410-841-3378 | 301-858-3378
Johnson, Steve 410-841-3280 | 301-858-3280
Kerr, Ken 410-841-3240 | 301-858-3240
Kipke, Nicholaus 410-841-3421 | 301-858-3421
Krebs, Susan W. 410-841-3200 | 301-858-3200
Lewis, Robbyn 410-841-3772 | 301-858-3772
Morgan, Matthew 410-841-3170 | 301-858-3170
Pena-Melnyk, Joseline 410-841-3502 | 301-858-3502
Pendergrass, Shane E. 410-841-3139 | 301-858-3139
Reilly, Teresa E. 410-841-3278 | 301-858-3278
Rosenberg, Samuel I. 410-841-3297 | 301-858-3297
Saab, Sid 410-841-3551 | 301-858-3551
Sample-Hughes, Sheree 410-841-3427 | 301-858-3427
Szeliga, Kathy 410-841-3698 | 301-858-3698
Young, Karen Lewis 410-841-3436 | 301-858-3436
Please note: Rules for submitting written and oral testimony have changed this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, and can be viewed here. We’re asking members for phone calls, emails, and written testimony only at this time.
Please spread the word! Let’s flood the offices of Delegate Kelly and the other HGO committee members with polite, respectful, forceful emails and phone calls. They need to hear our voices!
Please consider joining ICM’s free Telegram group where you’ll find like minds instead of arguments, as well as helpful resources for navigating vaccine data, mandates, exemptions and more.