Life Course Immunisation (LCI) presents an advocacy framework for protection against vaccine-preventable diseases throughout the course of our lives. Investing in a life-course approach in national immunisation programmes brings wide health and economic benefits, protects all ages from vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, and reduces disease burden, better preparing us all to live longer and more productive lives. In a context where older persons comprise the world’s fastest-growing age group, maintaining a healthy, fit older population will become very important for individuals. LCI strategies are a cost-effective means of improving health throughout the duration of adult life. Adult vaccination not only reduces the incidence and severity of infectious diseases but also reduces the incidence and severity of comorbidities with noncommunicable conditions.

Read publication

Immunization is the greatest success story of the twentieth century. Vaccines eliminated most of the childhood diseases that used to cause millions of deaths, making possible a life without disabilities caused by certain communicable diseases like polio for the first time in human history. In the twenty first century, though, the fruits of modern medicine are not reaching some of the most vulnerable, making global health insecure against vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) once more.

Read publication

Pharmacists play a vital role in maintaining and promoting public health. All pharmacists have a responsibility to participate in global, national, state, regional, and institutional efforts to promote public health and to integrate the goals of those initiatives into their practices.

Furthermore, pharmacists have a responsibility to work with public health planners to ensure their involvement in public health policy decision-making and in the planning, development, and implementation of public health efforts.

ASHP Statement on the Pharmacist’s Role in Public Health