The United States Public Health Service has announced that USC students Kevin Marx and Lynn Shiraishi are recipients of the 2007 USPHS Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Practice Award.

Marx and Shiraishi received their awards at the USC School of Pharmacy banquet on April 26.

The honor recognizes Operation Immunization, coordinated by Marx and Shiraishi, level-two students in the school’s Pharm.D. program. Operation Immunization is a vaccine administration and education program serving the public in the Los Angeles area.

During this academic year, Operation Immunization vaccinated some 4,000 individuals for a variety of illnesses including influenza and meningitis. Nearly 120,000 people learned about the importance of vaccinations in the prevention of serious disease through the program.

Students provided these services at health fairs throughout the area, and they regularly administer vaccinations at the Huntington Memorial Hospital Flu Clinic.

Marx and Shiraishi coordinated all Operation Immunization activities. The project previously won a regional award for immunization outreach at the American Pharmacists Association meeting in March.