Community Pharmacies deliver nearly half of covid vaccines as flu vaccinations hit record highs

Community Pharmacies deliver nearly half of covid vaccines as flu vaccinations hit record highs.

Community pharmacies administered around 45% of all covid vaccinations during the Autumn campaign, according to newly released government data¹

Pharmacies are also delivering a substantial proportion of the adult flu vaccination programme. They have already administered over 4.2 million flu vaccinations², surpassing last year’s total, with the final months’ data still to come. This represents around one-third (33%) of all adult flu vaccines administered so far.³

Demand for pharmacy-led vaccinations has grown year-on-year since pharmacies joined the flu programme in 2015. By the end of October 2025, they had administered 3.3 million flu vaccines⁴, which is a 10% increase on the same month the previous year⁵.

With convenient access and a strong presence in deprived communities, pharmacies are helping patients get fast access to vaccines and supporting uptake where it is most needed.

The government must recognise this success and build on it by commissioning community pharmacies to deliver a wider range of NHS vaccines. Pharmacists have the skills, expertise, and local presence to support this, reaching more patients and increasing uptake, while helping to protect communities from preventable illnesses.

The CCA recently wrote to the Health and Social Care Committee highlighting the enhanced role that pharmacies could play in administering a broader range of NHS vaccines. This followed the UK’s recent loss of its measles-free status.

However, any expansion must be appropriately remunerated to ensure it is sustainable. By enabling pharmacies to deliver more vaccines, there is a real opportunity to increase vaccine coverage, improve public health, and provide greater choice for patients.

Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive of the Company Chemists’ Association said:

“Community pharmacies are proving once again that they are central to the NHS vaccination effort. Delivering nearly half of all covid vaccinations in the autumn campaign, and already more adult flu vaccines than last year underscores just how vital community pharmacies are to vaccination efforts.

About one-third of all adult flu vaccines to date have been administered through pharmacies, and we are yet to count the last few months. This shows the sector’s ability to consistently reach patients promptly, safely, and conveniently.

The evidence is clear that pharmacies should be commissioned to deliver a wider range of NHS vaccines. With the right commissioning framework, community pharmacy can play an even greater role in protecting public health and easing pressure across the wider NHS.”

References

1. This was revealed in unpublished NHS England data in an answer to a parliamentary written question tabled by Helen Morgan MP, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Health and Social Care. House of Commons, Written Answer, Coronavirus: Vaccination, UIN 113244
2. NHS Business Services Authority, Open Data Portal (2026), Community Pharmacy Adult Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Service Report – Pharmacy Contractors – November 2025. Online at: Community Pharmacy Adult Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Service Current Report – Pharmacy Contracto…
3. NHS England, Statistic, Vaccinations: Flu (2026), Flu Activity (Flu vaccinations 27 November 2025). Online at: Statistics » Vaccinations: Flu
4. NHS Business Services Authority, Open Data Portal (2026), Community Pharmacy Adult Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Service Report – Pharmacy Contractors – November 2025. Online at: Community Pharmacy Adult Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Service Current Report – Pharmacy Contracto…
5. NHS Business Services Authority, Open Data Portal (2026), Community Pharmacy Adult Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Service Historic Report – Pharmacy Contractors – 2024/25. Online at: Community Pharmacy Adult Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Service Historic Report – Pharmacy Contract…