Public commenters urge board to address vaccine injury claims, language access and intern‑licensure rules

Several members of the public used the meeting’s public‑comment period to press the board on a range of issues from alleged vaccine injuries to technician language access and intern licensure policy.

Julie Threet, who identified herself as a pharmacist and vaccine‑injured individual from Butte County, cited VAERS numbers and urged the board to examine injuries she said were linked to vaccines given at pharmacies. “Far from benign, these vaccines have unleashed profound harm disrupting nearly every system of the human body and contributing to unprecedented levels of morbidity and mortality,” Threet said in a summary of a report she referenced; she also told the board she would submit follow‑up materials.

Other commenters focused on workforce and access issues. Chazleen (Chasney) Johnson, a pharmacy technician in Oceanside, urged clearer language‑access practices and employer plans for translation support, and expressed concern about technicians conducting drug‑utilization reviews in the absence of pharmacist time. Vincent clarified advocacy for standardized testing to ensure technicians learn medical terminology rather than relying on general high‑school coursework.

McKenna Fox, a fourth‑year pharmacy student at USC, urged the board to amend intern pharmacist law to remove the requirement that an intern remain enrolled in school and to provide a 365‑day leave‑of‑absence period so interns can retain interim licensure while progressing toward their pharmacist license.

Board members acknowledged the comments and suggested referring language‑access and technician‑training concerns to the relevant committee for further consideration; members thanked speakers for the submissions and written comments received in advance.