ACTION ALERT: Please Ask Legislators to OPPOSE SB736 Which Enables Pharmacists to Administer Vaccines to Toddlers and Children Without Appropriate Oversight
TEXT OF SB736 – 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 HB1040.
why icm opposes SB736
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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 SB736
URGENT: We’re asking all members to call and email Senator Malcolm Augustine and members of the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee and let them know, in your own words, why you oppose this bill!
There will be a hearing for SB736 before the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee Tuesday, 3/2/2021, at 1:00 PM.
Phone 410-841-3745 | 301-858-3745
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3745
Please copy and paste the following email addresses of the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee members into the BCC section of your email:
paul.pinsky@senate.state.md.us,Cheryl.Kagan@senate.state.md.us,marybeth.carozza@senate.state.md.us,arthur.ellis@senate.state.md.us,jason.gallion@senate.state.md.us,katiefry.hester@senate.state.md.us,clarence.lam@senate.state.md.us,obie.patterson@senate.state.md.us,edward.reilly@senate.state.md.us,bryan.simonaire@senate.state.md.us,mary.washington@senate.state.md.us
Please call the offices of the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee members:
Phone 410-841-3606 | 301-858-3606
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3606
Phone 410-841-3134 | 301-858-3134
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3134
Phone 410-841-3645 | 301-858-3645
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3645
Phone 410-841-3616 | 301-858-3616
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3616
Phone 410-841-3603 | 301-858-3603
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3603
Phone 410-841-3671 | 301-858-3671
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3671
Phone 410-841-3653 | 301-858-3653
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3653
Phone 410-841-3092 | 301-858-3092
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3092
Phone 410-841-3568 | 301-858-3568
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3568
Phone 410-841-3658 | 301-858-3658
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3658
Phone 410-841-3145 | 301-858-3145
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3145
If you are a constituent of one of these Senators, let them know!
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 Senator Augustine and the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs 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.