Resources published to support rollout of childhood flu vaccination service
Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has published a suite of resources to help pharmacy owners and teams implement and promote the new Community Pharmacy NHS Childhood Flu Vaccination Service.
The materials include implementation checklists, a briefing guide for pharmacy teams, posters, flyers, template press releases and social media content.
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Messaging has been developed to help highlight the service to parents, carers and the wider public.
CPE has also published a bank of frequently asked questions to support pharmacy teams’ understanding of the service, including that a consultation is a prerequisite and relevant training requirements.
Resources are available to download via CPE’s dedicated Childhood Flu Vaccination Service webpage and shared folder.
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.
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According to CPE, the launch of the service represents 'a show of faith in community pharmacists'.
Alastair Buxton, director of NHS services at CPE, said: ‘This service is really strategically important because it’s another opportunity for community pharmacy to demonstrate that it can improve vaccination levels.'
Earlier this month, the patient group direction (PGD) for the new childhood flu vaccination advanced service was published by NHS England (NHSE).
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The PGD states that LAIV nasal spray suspension should be offered as the first line immunisation for the 2025 to 2026 influenza season, or IIVc if LAIV is unsuitable or contraindicated.
LAIV is available under the brand Fluenz as a pre-filled single-use nasal applicator.
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