Governor Rick Scott signed Florida House Bill 279, offering new vaccinations to residents at neighborhood pharmacies rather than only physician offices, according to The Famuan.
Here are five things to know:
1. Influenza and shingles vaccines are already available at neighborhood pharmacies.
2. The list of available vaccinations will now include vaccinations for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, TDAP (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis) as well as Meningococcal and Pneumococcal bacterial infections.
3. The Association of American Medical College reports the United States will experience a shortage of physicians in future years, with only 90,000 more physicians expected in the next decade.
4. Vaccinations in local pharmacies is one way to mitigate the effects of the shortage with 95 percent of patients living within five to 10 miles of a pharmacy.
5. Approximately 15 percent of Americans do not have access to a vehicle and forgo visits to primary care physicians as a result. These individuals will be able to receive vaccinations at their local pharmacy.
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