Key Summary
- Community pharmacies are being utilised to administer children flu vaccinations.
- A majority of respondents (52 per cent) think it is too early to call it a permanent trend.
- 36 per cent said they think this is an acknowledgment of the efficiency and scope of pharmacies.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Department of Health recently announced that community pharmacies will offer children flu vaccinations during the 2026 to 2027 flu season.
Pharmacy owners will be paid an increased fee of £10.06 for each vaccination administered (last year the fee was £9.58).
The industry had been pushing for this move. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) had urged the NHS to commission pharmacies to provide vaccines to school age children to address a ‘dangerous and growing wave of vaccine hesitancy’.
As the new announcement sparks intense debate over whether this signals permanent NHS recognition of community pharmacies as the backbone of national health campaigns or a one-off event, Pharmacy Business conducted a poll on LinkedIn to see what the sector thinks.
The poll revealed that the vast majority (52 per cent) believe it is too early to decide if this is a trend or a one-time move by the NHS.
Additionally, 36 per cent said they think this is a new trend of reliance and acknowledgment of the efficiency and scope of pharmacies, and 12 per cent said it is not a trend but just a one-time move.
Matt Johnson (MPharm MRCPharm CMgr MCMI) from LV Pharmacy commented, “That remuneration value when extrapolated to an hourly rate for a professional service delivered by a team, remains ridiculously offensive.”
While the long-term outlook remains debated, the immediate rollout will see thousands of pharmacies acting as critical access points for families.
Although the wider national children's rollout begins in schools and GP surgeries on 1 September, the pharmacy service will officially commence on 1 October—focusing on 2- and 3-year-olds, clinically at-risk youth, and crucial school catch-ups.
