Contact: Annette Gaudino, annette.gaudino@treatmentactiongroup.org

New York, June 2, 2021 — Treatment Action Group (TAG) welcomes the passage of new legislation in New York state to expand the list of adult vaccines available in pharmacies to include hepatitis A and B vaccines, and strongly urges the Governor to sign the bill into law. The bill, S4807A (Stavisky) / A6476A (Hyndman), improves preventive viral hepatitis vaccine access, and is particularly important for people who use drugs and unhoused New Yorkers.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown the key role pharmacies can play in vaccination efforts,” said Annette Gaudino, TAG’s Director of Policy Strategy. “Since 2018 we’ve worked closely with grassroots advocates and pharmacists’ associations to educate legislators on the benefits of expanded vaccine access. The lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic, and the provision for State review, ensure that New Yorkers will be able to safely receive needed vaccines in more places and times than ever before.”

The bill will permit trained, certified pharmacists and nurse practitioners to provide all FDA approved, CDC/ACIP recommended routine adult vaccines after State review. Currently, New York is one of only three states which does not allow pharmacy-based administration of all approved or recommended adult vaccines. This review process would also provide for streamlined authorization for pharmacy administration of newly FDA approved adult vaccines in the future, expediting access to hepatitis C and HIV vaccines when they become available.

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