The first ever student pharmacist planned and staffed Operation Immunization flu clinic at The Village Pharmacy Amarillo, TX  October 1, 2005

The 2005 Care Van Mobile Childhood Immunization Clinics

What is Operation Immunization?

Operation Immunization is an immunization awareness campaign designed to increase the public's knowledge of immunizations while raising the number of adults and children receiving immunizations. Participants include the APhA-ASP chapters from around the country.  Pharmacists have been recognized as the most accessible health professionals, with the equivalent of the entire U.S. population (250 million people) who visit a pharmacy every week. Thus, pharmacists and student pharmacists have a major role to play in ensuring higher immunization rates, and in decreasing vaccine-preventable disease.

Operation Immunization consists of a promotional campaign designed to increase community awareness of immunization information and advise patients where they can obtain the proper immunizations. This campaign also promotes the implementation of immunization services in pharmacies. Students and pharmacists are encouraged to administer vaccinations and provide educational material to their patients as part of this campaign. In the states where pharmacists are not authorized to administer immunizations, chapters create partnerships with physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals to administer immunizations in a pharmacy. By having pharmacists administer immunizations or having the immunizations administered in a pharmacy, there is hope to increase the public's awareness of the important role both pharmacists and student pharmacists can have on public health issues. Through participation in this project, student pharmacists are providing the pharmacy profession with an excellent resource in the fight against the growing incidence, morbidity, and mortality associated with vaccine preventable diseases.

Student chapters send in a report of their activities each year to compete for Regional and National awards. Each year, the national winner receives a cash prize and presents their immunization program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Immunization Conference.