The National Pharmacy Association has welcomed the government’s move to involve pharmacies in providing HPV vaccination drive and seeks greater participation in other vaccination campaigns.
In its ‘Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England’ announced last week, the government had announced that it aims to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.
To attain this goal, HPV vaccination will be available in local community pharmacies to reach those who missed school vaccinations. It will also roll out home testing kits for human papilloma virus (HPV), providing greater convenience and access. Both will be available from this year.
Commenting on this announcement NPA chief executive Henry Gregg said, "We're pleased the government have listened to the NPA and have commissioned pharmacies to provide catch up HPV vaccinations to those who have missed them in school.
"The higher the uptake for HPV vaccinations, the greater protection there is against serious conditions such as cervical cancer.
"The government should follow the evidence and commission pharmacies to take part in all national vaccination campaigns, which will help to increase their uptake and tackle a growing and concerning wave of vaccine hesitancy.
"Pharmacies are highly accessible and convenient places to receive a vaccination, particularly in deprived communities where historically vaccination uptake has been lower."
The government’s new strategy will focus on women’s experiences to ensure that patient voices are heard via feedback from women.
While announcing the strategy, health secretary Wes Streeting had said that the healthcare system often “gaslights women, treating their pain as an inconvenience and their symptoms as an overreaction.”
He said the new strategy will tackle the issues women face every day and ensure no woman is left fighting to be heard.
