Pharmacists continue to join the national stage. The first pharmacist has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC).

On September 11, 2012, pharmacist Mitchel Rothholz was sworn into a 4-year term as an individual member of NVAC. Mitch was appointed in recognition of his more than 18 years of leadership work within the immunization community to increase our nation’s vaccination rates and for his work in facilitating the role of pharmacists in immunizations. The purpose of NVAC is to advise and make recommendations to the Assistant Secretary of Health, Director of the National Vaccine Program, on matters related to program responsibilities, including the development and implementation oversight of the National Vaccine Plan.

Mitch currently serves as APhA’s Chief Strategy Officer. He is a member of the Executive Committees of the American Medical Association (AMA)/CDC National Influenza Vaccination Summit and the AMA/CDC/HHS National Adult Immunization Summit, and the Advisory Board of the Immunization Action Coalition. He served on NVAC’s Adult Vaccination Working Group. He has assisted numerous pharmacists in implementing immunization services, facilitated collaboration among immunization stakeholders, and made numerous presentations to public policy makers and the media on pharmacy-based immunizations and immunizations across the lifespan. He is a strong advocate for the development of the “immunization neighborhood,” where all stakeholders collaborate, coordinate, and communicate to improve public health and immunization rates within their community.

We’re proud of you, Mitch, and we’re proud of the contributions of more than 185,000 immunizing pharmacists who have shown the public that when called upon, pharmacists have a tremendous contribution to make to public health!