Community pharmacies administered around 45 percent of all Covid vaccinations and over 4.2 million flu vaccinations during the Autumn campaign, according to government data.
As for the flu jabs, it has already surpassed last year’s total, with the final months’ data yet to come.
The demand for pharmacy-led vaccinations has grown year-on-year since pharmacies joined the flu programme in 2015, as they have a strong presence in deprived areas.
The Company Chemists Association wants the government to recognise this success and build on it by commissioning community pharmacies to deliver a wider range of NHS vaccines.
Pharmacists have the skills, expertise, and local presence to support this, reaching more patients and increasing uptake, while helping to protect communities from preventable illnesses.
The CCA recently wrote to the Health and Social Care Committee highlighting the enhanced role that pharmacies could play in administering a broader range of NHS vaccines. This followed the UK’s recent loss of its measles-free status.
CCA chief executive Malcolm Harrison said, “Community pharmacies are proving once again that they are central to the NHS vaccination effort. Delivering nearly half of all covid vaccinations in the autumn campaign, and already more adult flu vaccines than last year, underscores just how vital community pharmacies are to vaccination efforts.
"About one-third of all adult flu vaccines to date have been administered through pharmacies, and we are yet to count the last few months. This shows the sector’s ability to consistently reach patients promptly, safely, and conveniently.
"The evidence is clear that pharmacies should be commissioned to deliver a wider range of NHS vaccines. With the right commissioning framework, community pharmacy can play an even greater role in protecting public health and easing pressure across the wider NHS.”
