Commission vaccines by age to improve uptake, CCA urges

Routine vaccinations should be commissioned from pharmacies by age group to improve jab uptake and avoid ‘unnecessary friction’ for patients, sector leaders have said.

The Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) has written to the Health and Social Care Committee warning that without action vaccine rates in the UK could drop further and lead to ‘avoidable disease outbreaks which could have serious health consequences’.

The letter, from CCA chief executive Malcom Harrison,  expressed the trade association’s concern that none of the 14 childhood vaccines administered in the UK meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) target vaccination rate of 95% the level required to achieve herd immunity.

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The letter calls for NHS England and ICBs to commission vaccinations by age cohort rather than vaccination programme to reduce ‘unnecessary friction’ for patients who are eligible for more than one vaccine.

Pharmacies are currently commissioned to administer flu and Covid vaccines only, which means that if their patient is eligible for another vaccine – such as the shingles or pneumococcal vaccine – they must go elsewhere in the system for it, the CCA said.

‘If patients must attend multiple locations to get their vaccinations, there is a risk that they will not receive them all. [A more] opportunistic approach would have a significant impact on overall uptake and make every contact count,’ the letter added.

The CCA also urged the government and NHSE to set out the terms of the human papillomavirus (HPV) ‘catch-up’ vaccination programme, which formed part of the government’s recently published National Cancer Plan.

Although the plan confirmed community pharmacy’s involvement, the sector has received no further details on what shape the programme will take or when it will begin, the CCA said.

‘Like any business, pharmacies need early communication on forthcoming vaccination programmes to scale up resources, and to invest in IT, premises and personnel. They also need time to prepare pharmacy teams and engage their customers and patients, promoting this new service to ensure widespread uptake,’ the CCA’s letter added.

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ICBs will be responsible for commissioning vaccination programmes from April 2027, and the CCA’s letter, published last month, also asked for more clarity around how ICBs will be expected to commission vaccine programmes.

The CCA recommended that any learnings from the Covid vaccination programme – such as how it benefited from a national framework to ensure nationwide standards – are considered.

Meanwhile, Health and Social Care Committee chair Layla Moran has written to  public health and prevention minister Ashley Dalton, calling for the government to draw up a ‘sustainable investment plan’ for all routine and seasonal vaccinations.

Ms Moran said the committee had heard evidence last month that the ‘immense pressure’ facing primary care put long-term vaccination delivery at risk and while pharmacies are ‘well placed’ to deliver jabs they need further funding and contract changes to make this a reality.

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Ms Moran added: ‘The Government must set out a sustainable investment plan to ensure primary care and ICBs can effectively deliver all routine and seasonal vaccination programmes in the long term, and set out how it will improve access to vaccinations through this, including considering delivery of routine childhood vaccinations such as MMRV [measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella] in community pharmacies.’

Her letter to Ms Dalton was published on the same day the public health and prevention minister resigned to continue her oral chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.