Overcoming Barriers to Influenza Vaccination: Examining Available Vaccines for 2021-2022 and Addressing Hesitancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Program Description
The influenza virus has historically caused significant burden for patients and health care systems. According to the CDC it is among the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States, ranging between 12,000 and 61,000 deaths annually since 2010. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the overlap of influenza with COVID-19 circulation created an urgency for health care providers, including pharmacists, to promote vaccination strategies to lessen the incidence of these respiratory illnesses and consequential strain on the health care system. Additionally, the pandemic exposed disparities in vaccination rates as well as a decline in public confidence with vaccine efficacy and safety. As an increasing number of individuals are electing to receive their vaccines at local pharmacies, pharmacists are in a pivotal position to leverage their role to improve care, access, and vaccination rates. With the availability of multiple formulations of influenza vaccines, pharmacists must be able to identify the most appropriate vaccine for each patient based on guideline recommendations and patient-specific factors. This activity will also feature an interactive patient simulation that will allow pharmacists to experience opportunities to address patient hesitancy through education and counseling about the importance of influenza vaccination with patients within the pharmacy.

Target audience: Health-system and specialty pharmacists
Type of activity: Application
Release date: December 15, 2021
Expiration date: January 15, 2023
Time to complete activity: 2.5 hours
Fee: Free


Educational Objectives

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Examine the epidemiology of the influenza virus and the challenge of increasing influenza vaccination rates during the era of COVID-19
• Determine the patient populations at elevated risk of complications related to influenza and COVID-19 and the need to improve vaccination rates during the pandemic
• Explore the recommendations, safety, and efficacy of the available influenza vaccines for the 2021-2022 influenza season
• Investigate the growing presence of pharmacies as a site of care to improve influenza and COVID-19 vaccination rates especially during the ongoing pandemic and the role of the pharmacist as patient identifier, educator, and vaccine administrator

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This activity is approved for 2.5 contact hours (0.25 CEU) under the ACPE universal activity number 0290-0000-21-370-H06-P. The activity is available for CE credit through January 15, 2023.

Instructions for Completing the Activity and Receiving CPE Credit

To receive CPE credit, participants must complete the pretest, read the article in its entirety, complete the posttest, and complete the online activity evaluation. After successful completion of the online activity evaluation, you can submit your credit to CPE Monitor. You may view your credit within 48 hours at www.mycpemonitor.net. All participants must request credit before the activity expiration date. CE credit will not be issued after this date.

The following contributors have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose:

Faculty

Jean M. Scholtz, RPh, BS, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP

Medical Writer for Patient Simulation

Elizabeth Harris, PharmD, BCACP

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ Planning Staff—Jim Palatine, RPh, MBA; Maryjo Dixon, RPh; Dipti Desai, PharmD, CHCP; Liza Patel, PharmD, RPh; Karleen Melody, PharmD; Liz Rauh; Susan Pordon; Brianna Winters; and Chloe Taccetta

Pharmacy Times^® Editorial Staff—Davy James

An anonymous peer reviewer was part of the content validation and conflict resolution and has no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

Educational Disclaimer
CPE activities are offered solely for educational purposes and do not constitute any form of professional advice or referral. Discussions concerning drugs, dosages, and procedures may reflect the clinical experience of the author(s) or they may be derived from the professional literature or other sources and may suggest uses that are investigational in nature and not approved labeling or indications. Participants are encouraged to refer to primary references or full prescribing information resources.

For questions about this internet CPE activity, please contact:
[email protected]
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Information:
www.pharmacytimes.org/terms