Welsh pharmacies delivered a record 37% more flu vaccines between September and December 2020 than in the entire 2019 season, according to data from Community Pharmacy Wales (CPW).

Recent data published by CPW showed pharmacies had administered 88,241 vaccines between September and December 2020 – 42% more than they delivered during the same period last year (61,756) and 37% more than the sector delivered in the 2019 flu season (64,094).

Meanwhile, in England, over 2.5 million people have been vaccinated against the flu in community pharmacies between September and January 31 - over a million more than the sector achieved over the flu season last year.

Mark Griffiths, chair of Community Pharmacy Wales, said this was a ‘remarkable achievement’ given ‘the challenges of flu vaccine supply in November and the ongoing increased pressure on the network during the pandemic’.

‘In congratulating 595 of 713 community pharmacy teams across Wales in breaking records for flu vaccination deployment, I am more convinced than ever of the potential of community pharmacy to make a significant contribution to Wales’ Covid-19 vaccine programme,’ he said.

‘As the recent Welsh government pilot service demonstrated, community pharmacies provide an accessible and convenient setting for Covid-19 vaccinations.’

He added that pharmacy teams were ‘eager to maximise’ their contribution to the rollout.

‘They recognise that the delivery of the vaccine needs to be undertaken with urgency and determination and wish to be involved in vaccinating as many of the categories of people to be vaccinated as possible,’ he said.

‘Community pharmacy teams want to prioritise the delivery of the vaccine in their daily work and play as full a role as possible in the rolling out of the vaccination programme as quickly, broadly and safely as possible, especially focused on people under 65, which is due to begin in a month’s time.’

The Welsh Government expanded its flu vaccination programme earlier this year to cover new cohorts, including the over 50s and those living with people in the shielded group.