With UK vaccination uptake falling and concerns that it could fall further, a new report urges that pharmacies are harnessed to deliver more NHS vaccines to drive uptake, improve patient confidence and prevent ill health.
The call for community pharmacies to play a greater role comes in a report launched in Parliament today by the ‘Pharmacy Vaccinations Development Group’, a coalition of organisations representing the entire vaccines supply chain.
The report, “Increasing Vaccination Uptake Through Community Pharmacy” highlights there is significant variation in uptake due to factors such as poor access to healthcare and insufficient capacity in the healthcare system.
Read the report on the increasing vaccination uptake here
In 2018, the WHO determined that the UK could no longer be considered ‘measles-free’ due to the declining uptake of the MMR vaccine1. Coverage decreased for all 14 childhood vaccines in 2023/24, and none met the WHO vaccination rate of 95% required to achieve herd immunity2.
Having delivered over a quarter of all Covid-19 vaccines to date3 and administered NHS influenza vaccine for several years, the report outlines how pharmacies could play an even bigger role.
Pharmacies are well placed to administer more NHS vaccines. Most of the population in England live within a 20-minute walk of a pharmacy4, many pharmacies are open during evenings and weekends, and more pharmacies are located in areas of higher deprivation4. Moreover, patients typically visit their community pharmacists twelve times more frequently than their GPs5,6.
The report comes over a year after the publication of NHS England’s vaccination strategy7 which outlines three key priorities – improving access, “vaccination delivery in convenient local places, with targeted outreach to support uptake in underserved populations”, and a “more joined-up prevention and vaccination offer”.
Community pharmacy offers a route to rapidly increase the access to vaccination – a clear ambition of the NHS Vaccination Strategy. By commissioning pharmacies to deliver more NHS vaccines, the PVDG believe that this would lead to an immediate step-change in uptake.
The group urges policymakers to increase vaccine uptake through community pharmacy by:
- Commissioning pharmacies to administer all the vaccines older adults are eligible for and expand existing pilots and early adopters.
- Expanding the National Booking Service, the NHS service by which patients can book vaccination appointments, to all vaccines and integrate with existing pharmacy booking systems, to provide a one-stop-shop for patients.
- Review supply models to ensure vaccines are available for patients when and where they need them.
CCA Chief Executive Malcolm Harrison said: “The UK has long held a world-leading position for vaccination but with uptake falling, we need action now to prevent further decline.
Community pharmacy has a strong track record in administering flu and Covid-19 vaccines. Pharmacists are highly trusted by local communities and already play a huge role in community relations, combating misinformation and ensuring vaccines reach underserved communities.
It’s time to awaken the sleeping giant that is community pharmacy and commission pharmacies to administer more NHS vaccines. With people typically visiting their community pharmacist twelve times more than their GP, this is a no-brainer”.
References
1 – BBC, ‘Measles: Four European nations lose eradication status’, August 2019
2 – NHS England, Childhood Vaccination Coverage Statistics, England, 2023-24, September 2024
3 – CCA, Learning from the Covid vaccination programme – reducing health inequalities through expanded access to vaccinations in community pharmacy, November 2024
4 – Todd, A, et al. The positive pharmacy care law: an area-level analysis of the relationship between community pharmacy distribution, urbanity and social deprivation in England. BMJ Open, 2014, Vol. 4:e005764
5 – Maidment, Ian, et al. Rapid realist review of the role of community pharmacy in the public health response to COVID-19. BMJ Open. 11, 2021, Vol. 050043.
6 – Strand, Mark A., et al., Community Pharmacists’ Contributions to Disease Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Preventing Chronic Disease. Vol. 11: 200317
7 – NHS England, Vaccination Strategy, December 2023
Notes to editors:
About the CCA
Established in 1898, the Company Chemists Association is the trade body for multiple pharmacies across England, Scotland, and Wales. We represent our members interests and provide them with a forum to bring together their scale, skills, experience, and resources for the benefit of patients, the NHS and the community pharmacy network.
About the Pharmacy Vaccinations Development Group (PVDG)
The Pharmacy Vaccinations Development Group provides a dedicated forum for stakeholders involved in the design, manufacture, commissioning, and provision of vaccination programmes. The group’s sole purpose is to improve access and uptake of vaccines across GB. The group is working to establish the model for commissioning, promoting, and delivering vaccination programmes in community pharmacy.
The group is sponsored by CSL Seqiris, GSK, Pfizer UK and Viatris. Members of the PVDG include representatives from AAH, Asda, Alliance Healthcare, Boots, GPhC, National Pharmacy Association (NPA), Numark, Pharmacy2U, Phoenix Medical, Rowlands Pharmacy, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Superdrug, Tesco, and Well.
National Booking Service (NBS)
People can use this service to book vaccination appointments at vaccination centres, community pharmacies, primary care networks and hospital hubs across England. They are shown appointments based on the type of vaccine allocated to them and their previous vaccination history.