ARLINGTON, Va. – Pharmacists for Healthier Lives — a coalition of pharmacy and healthcare organizations aiming to raise the profile of pharmacy as an essential health care profession – announced Tuesday  the launch of a campaign aimed at educating the public on the importance of immunizations to maintain a healthy population. The campaign will feature interviews with pharmacists from diverse backgrounds and be launched across Facebook and Instagram.

The launch of this campaign comes as students across the country head back to schools, amid ongoing public misinformation on the safety of vaccines and the recent rise in reported cases of measles in the United States.

Pharmacists for Healthier Lives (PfHL) maintains that every eligible person should receive vaccinations and encourages people to speak with their pharmacists to get the facts about vaccines so they can live their healthiest, happiest lives.

The campaign will include several videos of leading, expert pharmacists providing facts and dispelling myths about vaccinations. As experts trained in the science of vaccines and how they interact with the body, pharmacists are in a unique position to counsel people on the safety and efficacy of becoming immunized.

The pharmacists featured in this campaign include:

• Lucinda L. Maine, Ph.D., R.Ph., Executive Vice President and CEO. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

• Todd D. Sorensen, Pharm.D., professor and associate dean, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy

• Lakesha M. Butler Pharm.D., clinical associate professor, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy

•David D. Allen, R.Ph., Ph.D., dean and professor, The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy

• Anne Lin, Pharm.D., dean and professor, Notre Dame of Maryland University School of Pharmacy

“The new school year has once again put the issue of immunizations front and center. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of misinformation being spread about vaccinations, “ said Dr. Lucinda Maine, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). “Pharmacists for Healthier Lives is launching this effort to provide the facts on immunization and encourage every eligible person to receive their vaccinations.”

In addition to the release of this campaign to inform on the importance of immunizations, earlier this summer the Pharmacists for Healthier Lives coation released a consensus statement signed by 16 pharmacy organizations and stakeholders emphasizing their commitment to immunizations that help to prevent and eliminate communicable diseases.

For more information about the campaign and to view these videos, please visit https://pharmacistsforhealthierlives.org/impact-stories.