Rhode Island House approves bills on newborn screening, school transport and public-safety training; pharmacy COVID vaccine bill draws debate

The Rhode Island House on March 25, 2025, approved several bills affecting public health, school transportation and public-safety personnel training while deferring one measure to a later calendar.

The most contested measure was a bill to include COVID-19 immunization in the pharmacy-administered immunization framework for children aged 3 to 18 (H5427, substitute A). Representative McGaugh, who brought the Department of Health request, said the bill would add COVID-19 to the consent and reporting provisions that already apply to pharmacy vaccinations for that age group and that the measure "is not to reduce the role of primary care physicians, but because in many communities, it is hard to gain access to a pediatrician or primary care physician." Representative McGaw, who spoke in favor on the floor, said parental consent would be required and stressed that pharmacists receive extensive training and must be certified to give immunizations.

Representative Place said he had specific medical concerns and that his pediatrician "is not recommending the COVID vaccine" for his children; Place said he was opposing the bill and that allowing vaccination by pharmacists "without prior knowledge of the children's medical history" concerned him. Representative McGaw responded on the floor, "If a parent doesn't wanna get their child vaccinated, that's between them and…