Community pharmacy teams have administered over a million more flu vaccinations under the national flu vaccination service during 2020-21 than the previous year or an increase of 62 per cent.
Community pharmacists administered 2.76 million vaccinations under the national Flu Vaccination Service in 2020-21, the NHS Business Services Authority said in its Advanced Service Flu report.
Whilst in 2019-20 the total number of vaccines administered in community pharmacies was 1.72 million.
The service has continued to go from strength to strength since it launched in 2015, seeing year-on-year growth with the number of vaccinations administered.
Commenting on the end-of-season figures, PSNC CEO Simon Dukes said: “Every year community pharmacists surpass themselves in the provision of flu vaccinations, but this winter’s efforts were on another level. During the biggest healthcare crisis this country has faced, once again pharmacies showed their commitment to supporting key public health initiatives.”
The 2020-21 flu vaccination service finished on March 31, 2021, therefore the above considers the claims from September 2020 to March 2021.
“However, the total number of vaccinations administered for the 2002-21 may still increase as community pharmacy contractors can claim within six months of administration of the vaccination or by August 31, 2021, whichever data is earlier, in accordance with the usual Drug Tariff claims process,” the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) said.
