Seminar: John Grabenstein, PhD; “Pharmacists as Vaccinators: When the Phone Rang in Beard Hall”

John Grabenstein, PhD, is Global Director of Medical Affairs for Merck Vaccines. He leads scientific-policy activities for a global enterprise distributing >180 million doses of 13 vaccines annually, to help reduce the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. A pharmacist, he has experience in over 50 countries, served on multiple committees advising three departments of the U.S. Government, and published over 300 articles and 11 books, primarily on topics of immunization, public health and leadership. He specializes in adult immunization and the history of immunization.

Dr. Grabenstein received his pharmacy degree from Duquesne University in 1980, a master’s degree in education from Boston University in 1988, then his doctorate in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina in 1999.

Previously, as a Colonel in the U.S. Army, Dr. Grabenstein directed the Military Vaccine Agency, where he organized “Immunization University” to train clinicians from many health disciplines. He oversaw Defense Department immunization programs for 9 million troops, retirees, and family members dispersed across four continents and dozens of ships at sea. In 1996, he wrote the curriculum for “Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery,” a CDC-recognized 20-hour course coordinated by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) that has trained over 300,000 pharmacists.

John and his lovely wife, Laurie, have four wonderful children and a dog, each fully vaccinated.