A Message from the President

Dear PPA members,

PPA supports and advocates for safe, scientifically validated, and evidence-based immunization practices that are accessible to all children and their families. PPA has always supported partnership and open dialogue between the healthcare team and families/caregivers in determining each child’s immunization needs.

This week has been especially difficult for all of us on a professional level. As pediatric pharmacists and future pharmacists, we have dedicated substantial portions of our careers and lives in caring for children with acute and chronic medical conditions and in advancing child health. Whether you are feeling frustrated, angry, sad, demoralized, defeated, fearful, or any combination thereof, your feelings are valid and are heard. You are not alone.

The recently released executive order (EO), Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans - The White House, does not align with core values in public health nor the core values of pediatric health care. The EO is not substantiated by clinical or scientific evidence-based medicine, nor is it in alignment with practical, cost-effective, and family-centered care. The EO is yet another action that adds to the growing public mistrust of our immunization programs and healthcare systems — mistrust which we directly encounter at the bedside, in the clinic room, or at the pharmacy counter.

While this EO is deeply concerning, there is still much we can do professionally and personally. PPA continues to collaborate with other pharmacy and medical organizations and policymakers to advocate for vaccine recommendations that are safe, effective, transparent, and grounded in both science and practical feasibility.

Education on vaccine science and clinical rationale is highlighted on our social media channels and is accessible to the general public. Publications and position papers regarding immunization best practices can be found on our website at www.PPAG.org and in our open access journal, Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Many thanks go out to PPA’s Immunization Committee for all of their content creation and advocacy efforts, often with very short turnaround time!

And THANK YOU for making a difference in children’s lives each and every single day.