LA County: We Need ‘Stand Alone Vaccination Clinics’ and Local School Vaccination Centers

“LAC DPH Health Advisory: Maintaining Immunizations During COVID-19 Pandemic and Resuming Deferred Preventive Care.” 

Please read the full advisory on the link above. 

In my article on May 4, 2020, “The Future Role of Pharmacies, Vaccinations, and Laboratory Specimens in the Age of the Coronavirus and Beyond,” I addressed my concerns regarding the need for childhood immunizations: “Parents want their kids to go back to school in the Fall, and kids want to go to school in the Fall.”  

Again, my article states:” And this is what I am recommending – that children who may not need a health care visit, have a “stand alone” vaccination clinic for well children only to get their vaccinations.” 

In my conclusion I stated:

      “I highly recommend that our Los Angeles County Department of Health work with the California Department of Health and the CDC regarding recommendations for “Stand Alone Vaccination Clinics.” 

      For Children – as with the Polio virus, I remember going to my elementary school with all members of my family to receive the vaccine. Could the Los Angeles Unified School District – just as they are distributing meals for school children, set up school nurse’s offices in August or throughout the summer for well children to receive their vaccines if they do not have a pediatrician or if they are missing their mandated immunizations prior to the Fall 2020 school year? These visits should require an appointment, social distancing, and “Best Practices” (Mask and gloves) as I reference for “Stand Alone Clinics” below.” 

So what is the LAC DPH stating regarding vaccination recommendations?  

The LAC DPH reinforces my concerns that parents may be concerned that parents may be concerned about COVID–19 infection risk. 

• They recommend to “remind parents that vaccine – preventable diseases remain a threat to their child and to their community.” 

• “Consider non-traditional or innovative approaches to providing immunizations” 

• They give examples such as: 

1. “Provide vaccines in different locations;” 

2. “Collaborate with providers in the community to identify separate locations for holding well visits in children;” 

3. “Use hybrid telehealth / in-person models for immunization visits to reduce the length of the face-to-face time required, such that telehealth appointments are followed by a brief immunization visit.” 

4. “Partner with school districts to leverage school clinics and nurses who may not be working to hold childhood immunization clinics in familiar and separate locations.” 

“Prioritize newborn care and vaccination of infants and children up to 24 months of age, if your practice is not yet able to provide well-child visits and immunizations for all patients.” 

“Refer patients for needed immunizations, if your practice cannot provide them. Consider referring patients to a pharmacy or other immunization resource. Some patients may be eligible to receive immunizations at a LA County facility – see below for contact information.” 

What does LAC DPH say about Adult vaccines?

Please read the whole guideline linked above! 

Adult recommendations include: 

• “Ensure pregnant women receive pertussis immunization and when available, an influenza immunization. Immunize as part of routine prenatal care and do not defer whenever possible. Both of these diseases are associated with increased morbidity and mortality during pregnancy and in newborns.” 

• “Immunize patients when there is a need for protection against illnesses e.g. bacterial pneumonia. This should be based on an assessment that the potential benefit of the immunization outweighs the risk of possible exposure to COVID – 19.” 

• “Provide immunizations opportunistically when the patient is in the clinic for other reasons. Actively review adult patient records to assess their need for immunizations (e.g. pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzee, MMR, influenza, T-DAP, and Zoster.” 

My concern is that there are more than 10,000 million residents in Los Angeles County. Seniors and those who are immune compromised are still being told to “Stay at Home.” In the recommendations above, they recommend referring adult patients to a pharmacy. 

Image from the CVS website. 

This should be the future of our pharmacies. There needs to be permanent pharmacy barriers to protect the integrity of our medications, and to protect all pharmacy staff from any number of illnesses including seasonal flu, COVID – 19, Measles outbreaks, and other illnesses. 

I recommend that these companies such as CVS and Walgreens, as well as other chains, work with the Counties and States to create “Stand Alone Vaccination Centers” for well adult visits. If our pharmacists are forced to be alternative providers to the Primary Care Physicians, then they will potentially be overwhelmed by requests for vaccines, and they will lack the necessary staffing to fill the necessary medications that include everything from prenatal health care prescriptions to medications for the elderly including prescriptions for those at most risk for COVID– 9. Those at risk for COVID-19 include those with pre-existing conditions such as: over 65, have lung disease, moderate to severe asthma, heart conditions, the immunocompromised, obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, and liver disease. 

See: “People Who Are at Higher Risk for Severe Illness.”   

In Conclusion: As the County in California with the highest incidence of COVID–19 at this time, I ask that my LA County and LA City Elected Officials work with LAC DPH, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the CDC to create “Stand Alone Clinics” for Adult immunizations and local school locations in conjunction with school nurses for children’s vaccinations. These Elected Officials should also emphasize the need for prenatal care, and vaccinations at a pediatrician’s office or an alternative County location ideally geared for infants for their vaccinations. 

Thank you, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health employees for helping us with regular information during this COVID–19 pandemic and at other times when you are not as prominent in the news.

(Chris Rowe, a former health care employee who has worked at Northridge Hospital, Tarzana Medical Center, and West Hills Hospital has a B.S. in Health Education. She is a 42-year resident of West Hills. She has written for the Los Angeles Daily News, RonKayeLA.org; OurLA.org; and CityWatch. She has a blog on the USC/ Annenberg Center for Health Journalism website and can be reached at [email protected]) Photo at top: CDC website. Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.