Vaccinations and inequalities
The CCA is urging NHS England to commission pharmacies to deliver more vaccinations and in so doing reverse falling uptake, free up GP capacity and hospital beds. The CCA’s report highlights that pharmacies had administered 42m+ Covid vaccinations between December 2020 and August 2024, over a quarter of all Covid vaccines. In spring 2024, more than half of all vaccinations administer in pharmacies were given to ethnicity groups traditionally considered to be vaccine hesitant. The CCA is calling for NHS England to commission pharmacies to administer the pneumonia, shingles, meningitis, RSV and other routine childhood vaccines – which, taken together would free up 10m+ GP vaccination appointments annually.