Children’s flu jab pilot a ‘show of faith’ in community pharmacists, says CPE

The children’s flu vaccine service – launching as a pilot in pharmacies this October – is a ‘show of faith from our colleagues in the NHS’, Alastair Buxton, director of NHS services at Community Pharmacy England (CPE), has said.

‘This service is really strategically important because it’s another opportunity for community pharmacy to demonstrate that it can improve vaccination levels,’ he added, urging community pharmacists to ‘fully engage’ with the service should they choose to participate.

The initiative, commissioned as an Advanced service, aims to boost vaccine uptake among children aged two and three.

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It follows several years of decline in vaccine uptake rates in general practice which have been just over 40%, according to Marta Senger, community pharmacy reimbursement manager for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The one-season pilot will run from 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026, followed by a national evaluation to consider the impact of the new service on overall vaccine uptake and reducing inequalities.

CPE spent ‘a lot of time’ last month visiting local pharmaceutical committees (LPCs) and talking to community pharmacists across the country in a series of workshops to find out which clinical services they are most keen to provide.

Speaking during an online webinar this month, Mr Buxton said: ‘As a generality, vaccination services tended to be at the top of that list.

‘[This children’s flu jab pilot] is a show of faith from our colleagues in the NHS and it is in our hands to make it a success. I am confident that the community pharmacy sector can do that.’

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Pharmacies can now register to provide the new vaccination service through the NHS Business Services Authority’s Manage Your Service (MYS) portal.

To take part, they must be signed up to the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) for ordering vaccine supply, the National Booking System (NBS) and MYS for appointment booking, the NHS Pharmacy Finder to advertise walk-in availability, and the NHS-Assured Point of Care to record vaccinations.

All staff administering the vaccine must also have an enhanced DBS check.

Pharmacies must register by 23:59 on Sunday 31 August to receive vaccine supply in time for the start of the service on 1 October.

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Those opting to participate will receive £9.58 per vaccination administered – funded from NHS vaccination budgets, rather than the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) global sum.

The new vaccine service fits broadly with NHS England’s vaccination strategy which involved greater use of community pharmacy.