Key Summary
- Children aged 2-3 years will be vaccinated with the live attenuated influenza vaccine nasal spray suspension
- Pharmacy owners will be paid £9.58 for each vaccine administered
- Interested pharmacy owners can sign up via the NHSBSA’s MYS portal from August 1
Community pharmacies in England will launch one-season trial of a new flu vaccination service for children aged 2-3 years from October.
This was agreed upon after negotiations between Community Pharmacy England and NHS England and is expected to increase uptake of the vaccine in this age group, who are usually offered this service via general practice.
The children will be vaccinated with live attenuated influenza vaccine nasal spray suspension (LAIV), which will be supplied to pharmacies from centrally procured stock.
Pharmacy owners will be paid £9.58 for each vaccine administered. This fee is funded from NHS vaccination budgets, and not from the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework global sum.
Interested pharmacy owners can sign up via the NHSBSA’s MYS portal from August 1.
Those who register on the portal by August 31 will be supplied vaccine ahead of the start of the service on October 1. Others will receive their supplies after the start date.
Community Pharmacy England director Alastair Buxton said the new vaccination service aligns with NHS England’s vaccination strategy, the Government’s recently published 10-Year Plan for Health, and the community pharmacy sector’s strong desire to provide more NHS vaccination programmes.
“Community Pharmacy England was pleased to be able to agree this new advanced service as a trial for one season, and we are confident that pharmacy teams will be able to increase vaccination rates by providing a convenient and accessible service to parents and their eligible children," he said.
The Company Chemists Association (CCA) has welcomed the decision, and its chief executive, Malcolm Harrison, said, “This is a vote of confidence for the role of community pharmacy in driving uptake and coverage of NHS vaccines, particularly amongst underserved communities.”
He lauded the ‘Pharmacy Vaccinations Development Group’ for making this happen.
"Since 2024, the Group has been working to develop practical solutions to expand community pharmacy’s role in vaccination delivery, building on the sector’s track record in the flu and COVID-19 vaccination programmes,” he added.
