NYS Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed a law allowing pharmacists to continue giving flu shots, sparing people who want the vaccinations a trip to the doctor’s office.

New York used to be among a handful of states that only allowed physicians and nurses to administer vaccines, but it began allowing pharmacists to give the shots, too, in 2008.

The bill signed by Cuomo extends that authorization another four years.

The idea was to make it less of a hassle to get the shots.

Sponsors say more than 5,000 pharmacists are currently certified to give flu shots. By some estimates they administered more than a million immunizations in New York over the past year.

(Source: WCBSTV)