Touro College of Pharmacy students organize ‘Operation Immunization’

 

NEW YORK — Touro College of Pharmacy students provided vaccines to seniors this week as part of its third annual “Operation Immunization” as one of four events held in support of Flu Awareness Month and American Pharmacists Month, which included a flu clinic at TCOP, a lecture from a developer of the flu vaccine and a documentary on the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.  

 

At “Operation Immunization” — which was organized by the college’s chapter of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists — students screened seniors in East Harlem to ensure they could receive vaccines that were then administered by registered pharmacists.

 

“We are very committed to contributing our expertise in preventative medicine within the Harlem community and are proud of the contributions our students make to this significant public health initiative,” TCOP interim dean Dr. Zvi Loewy said. 

 

Working with Rite Aid as a community partner, students organized the entirety of “Operation Immunization”, building on the pharmacists’ role in working to improve public health and gaining experience in patient interaction and meeting seniors’ needs. 

 

"It's vitally important for seniors to receive vaccinations because adults over 65 years of age are more susceptible to the flu and also prone to other preventable diseases as well,” event organizer Christine Nguyen said.  “As student pharmacists, it was our goal to administer as many immunizations as possible in order to do our part in protecting our senior population.”