Community pharmacy administered over four million flu vaccines across England in the 2024/25 winter flu season, the highest outside of the pandemic, according to the Company Chemists’ Association.
This is nearly 10 per cent higher than the number of flu vaccines administered in 2023/24.
During 2024/25, 9,291 pharmacies participated, and each pharmacy on average administered over 400 vaccines.
There were 938 pharmacies that administered more than 1,000 vaccines in a single season.
Company Chemists' Association (CCA) chief executive Malcolm Harrison said, “The success of last winter’s flu vaccine programme shows that community pharmacy is a strong partner to the NHS."
"The recent regional commissioning of pharmacies to deliver RSV and Pertussis vaccines shows that health systems are beginning to take advantage of the opportunity," he added.
CCA wants the NHS to commission pharmacies to deliver a wide range of NHS vaccinations, including pneumonia, shingles, meningitis, and routine childhood vaccinations.
This would free up 10 million GP vaccination appointments each year, allowing GPs to focus on more complex care needs of patients.
The 2024/25 flu vaccine drive were also administered among the most deprived communities, in line with previous years.
Community pharmacies are gaining acceptance among the undeserved communities, as they are conveniently located and open for extended hours.
Commissioning pharmacies to take on a greater role in vaccination delivery will also free up hospital beds, CCA said.
