Recommendations to expand the role of community pharmacies in delivering respiratory vaccinations, have been welcomed by Community Pharmacy England (CPE).
This follows concerns raised of gaps in vaccine uptake among people living with lung conditions, highlighted by the Taskforce for Lung Health.
In a report Protection within reach: improving vaccine uptake among people with lung conditions in England the taskforce recommends that pharmacies should deliver a wider range of vaccines as Advanced Services under the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF). The taskforce calls for pharmacies to deliver RSV and pneumonia vaccines alongside existing flu and Covid-19 services.
The Taskforce for Lung Health has over 50 members of patients, carers, healthcare professionals, the voluntary sector and professional associations, including CPE and the Royal College of Pharmacy.
Community pharmacies should be recognised as a key part of national respiratory vaccination delivery, with appropriate commissioning and funding to support their contribution, said CPE.
Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services at CPE, said that community pharmacies could do more to reduce pressure on the NHS.
"Community pharmacies already play a vital role in delivering NHS vaccination programmes, and with the right commissioning and investment they can do even more to support prevention and reduce pressure on the wider NHS,” he said.
What are the reasons for gaps in vaccination uptake
The taskforce’s report, published yesterday (10), drew on a YouGov survey of 2,288 adults in England living with asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), bronchiectasis and pulmonary fibrosis, with a range of insight on the use of community pharmacy.
Almost half (48%) of respondents said they would prefer to receive a vaccination at their local community pharmacy, making it the second most popular location after GP surgeries (74%).
In addition, most (82%) of respondents trusted their local pharmacy as a source of vaccine information, comparable with levels of trust GP surgery teams and the NHS in general (84%).
Fewer than half (47%) of people under 65 with chronic respiratory disease received a flu vaccine during the 2025/26 season.
Uptake also varied according to deprivation with 33% of under-65s in clinical risk groups in the most deprived areas receiving a flu vaccine, compared with 46% in the least deprived areas.
Many of those with lung conditions said they did not consider themselves at increased risk of becoming seriously ill from respiratory infections. Respondents were evenly divided on whether they were concerned about becoming seriously ill.
Patients explain their barriers to vaccination
The survey also found that lack of vaccine uptake was often linked to practical barriers and uncertainty rather than opposition to vaccines.
Among respondents who had not received a vaccine, 19% cited personal beliefs and concerns about side effects, previous experiences and distrust. A further 21% could not identify a particular reason for not being vaccinated. With one saying, “I intend to have it, just didn’t get around to it.”
Others highlighted difficulties accessing services, with one reporting that vaccination was “too far to access”, while another said: “Never knew I could have them”.
When asked what would help them get vaccinated in the future:
- 27% wanted reminders
- 18% clearer information about vaccine costs and free eligibility
- 12% wanted the opportunity to receive multiple vaccinations during one appointment
- 11% wanted easier booking options and
- 11% preferred more convenient locations, including walk-in services.
Respondents from ethnic backgrounds were likely to lack city information and faced time pressures. People from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were less likely to prefer digital booking options.
Call for national respiratory vaccination strategy
Alongside expanding community pharmacy services, the Taskforce called for a respiratory Modern Service Framework (MSF) to be developed ahead of the transfer of vaccine commissioning responsibilities to Integrated Care Boards (ICB) in April 2027.
The framework would establish:
- National standards to improve consistency in respiratory care and vaccination access across England.
- Making respiratory vaccination a priority in NHS prevention and winter planning programmes.
- Publishing uptake data broken down by ICB.
- Lung conditions.
- Deprivation and ethnicity, and
- Making vaccination discussions a routine part of annual reviews, medication reviews and other respiratory care appointments.
The taskforce urges national vaccination campaigns to communicate eligibility criteria changes more clearly, alongside targeted engagement with communities experiencing lower vaccine confidence and uptake.
Alastair Buxton from CPE commented: “Vaccination remains one of the best ways to reduce the risk of serious illness and ease pressure on the NHS, so any work to help improve uptake is of critical importance”.
He observed that the taskforce report “notes that many people aren’t opposed to vaccination and recommends expanding the role of community pharmacy in providing respiratory vaccines as a way to make them more accessible”.
CPE said it would continue to call for greater recognition of community pharmacies in respiratory vaccination delivery, supported by appropriate commissioning and investment to improve patient access.
