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Pharmacies and GP practices begin delivering spring Covid-19 vaccines ... ctices will this week begin delivering the NHS spring Covid-19 vaccination programme, with more than half a million appointments booked ahead of the launch in England. Some 563,154 Covid-19 spring booster jabs have been booked since the national booking system opened last Tuesday, as others eligible are also encouraged to book in. The NHS spring programme is open to those aged 75 and over (includin ... Date: 02-04-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections
Pharmacists eligible for Covid vaccination, government confirms ... id-19 vaccination service, the government has confirmed. And patients aged over 65, care home residents and patients who are pregnant or in a clinical at-risk group will be eligible for the autumn booster, the government confirmed this week. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed to The Pharmacist today that its vaccination offer would extend to primary and community healthcare ... Date: 09-08-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Vaccinations and infections
Another baby dies from whooping cough as cases surpass 10,000 ... d. All babies are also given three doses of the 6-in-1 jab at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age to protect against whooping cough and other serious diseases such as diphtheria and polio, with a pre-school booster offered at 3 years 4 months. UKHSA director of immunisation Dr Mary Ramsay said: ‘With cases continuing to rise and, sadly, 10 infant deaths since the outbreak began last November, ensuring wome ... Date: 08-08-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections
Pharmacies told to plan for October start for autumn Covid jabs ... ation ‘that the autumn 2024 campaign may be smaller than the autumn 2023 campaign’. Last year, residents in care homes, over-65s and those in a clinical risk group were eligible for a Covid-19 booster jab. Today's announcement follows previous advice that the flu vaccination programme would begin in October this year in order to maximise vaccine effectiveness. The government said in March th ... Date: 30-05-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections
NHS opens national booking system for spring Covid-19 vaccinations ... s by the end of 2023 – a quarter (24.85%) of all Covid-19 vaccines up to that date. Today will also see the start of visits to older adult care homes and eligible household patients for Covid-19 booster jabs. NHSE is also encouraging those eligible to get the shingles vaccine, which is recommended for all adults turning 65, those aged 70 to 79, and those aged 50 and over with a severely weakened ... Date: 15-04-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections
UKHSA: More preventable diseases will re-emerge without vaccination uptake boost ... 8% and MMR, combined haemophilus influenzae type b and meningitis C, pneumococcal and meningitis B vaccine are all between 87% and 88% the figures show. Small increases were seen in the pre-school booster and MMR for children aged five years but at 85% both are far under the target needed for herd immunity. With the exception of rotavirus vaccination, figures were a bit higher for vaccinations in c ... Date: 03-04-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Vaccinations and infections
Quarter of all Covid vaccines administered in community pharmacies ... mes in the wake of NHS England’s decision to extend the national enhanced service for the Covid-19 vaccination programme until 31 August 2024 and confirmation of eligibility for the spring Covid-19 booster programme. Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the CCA, said: ‘Administering over 40 million Covid-19 vaccines, a quarter of all vaccines to date, is a truly fantastic achievement by the sector ... Date: 15-02-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections
Covid-19 vaccine contract extensions to carry added spring payment Pharmacies currently providing the Covid-19 vaccine are being asked by NHS England (NHSE) to extend their service provision contracts until 31 August 2024. The extension covers a potential spring booster programme, with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) set to publish their guidance soon. While the fee for the extension period remains at £7.54 per vaccination, NHSE has ag ... Date: 05-02-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections
Covid undervaccination led to thousands of deaths in UK ... nclusion of data from the whole UK population – the first of its kind – is a ‘remarkable achievement’. The UK Health Security Agency recently found that there is a continued need for Covid boosters since protection wanes after six months. In its long-awaited national vaccination strategy, published in December, NHS England revealed that vaccinations will become part of a ‘one-stop shop’ ... Date: 23-01-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections
Covid boosters needed as vaccine protection wanes after six months, finds UKHSA There is a continued need for Covid boosters, according to a Government study, which found they provide significant protection against death but this wanes after six months. Researchers from the UK Health Security Agency analysed data on mo ... Date: 02-01-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections
Covid and flu hospital admissions twice as high in deprived areas, UKHSA warns ... n rates’. Differences in vaccine uptake is one factor that has been shown to drive inequalities in health outcomes with disparities since the start of the Covid-19 vaccine campaign persisting as boosters have been offered, the report concluded. Influenza vaccination in those who are eligible is also consistently lower in the most deprived areas with last year’s figures also showing wide variati ... Date: 11-12-2023 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections
Limiting Covid boosters to the over-80s would be more cost-effective Limiting autumn Covid boosters to the over-80s, and high-risk over-45s, would have been the most cost-effective option, according to a Government impact assessment. But the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI ... Date: 11-10-2023 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections
More than one in 10 eligible given flu and Covid jabs amid ‘chaotic’ start ... three million people out of an eligible population of 30 million had received their flu vaccination, as well as more than two million people out of an eligible population of 20 million for the Covid booster. And in a statement published on Sunday about the new BA.2.86 variant, UKHSA said that vaccination was likely to provide continued protection and that it would continue to monitor vaccine effectiv ... Date: 05-10-2023 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections
Encourage pregnant women to take up Covid jab offer, NHSE asks Community pharmacies and other vaccination providers are being urged to make sure pregnant women know they are eligible for booster vaccinations this autumn amid concerns over the latest Covid variant. A total of 1.16 million Covid jabs were delivered in total in the first week of the programme. Some 2.8 million flu jabs were ... Date: 26-09-2023 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections
CPE slams 'shambolic' vaccination U-turn despite additional funding ... h he said would ‘make it more financially viable for some pharmacy owners to take part’. And he said that the negotiating body understood and support the clinical rationale for the accelerated booster campaign. But he called the government’s roll-out of the campaign, which saw the expected start date for flu vaccinations change from September to October in line with Covid vaccinations, which ... Date: 30-08-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Respiratory
UKHSA: No blanket restriction on private Covid vaccines ... accine Unit at UKHSA, said: ‘The Covid-19 vaccination programme continues to target those at higher risk of serious illness in line with JCVI advice, as those groups are most likely to benefit from booster vaccination at this time. ‘The Covid-19 vaccine is not currently available to buy privately in the UK but there is no blanket restriction on private sales of licensed vaccines. UKHSA will contin ... Date: 21-08-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Vaccinations and infections
Consultation launched on pharmacy technician PGDs The government has launched a consultation on whether registered pharmacy technicians should be allowed to supply medicines under a patient group direction (PGD). It also asks respondents whether the curr ... Date: 18-08-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Vaccinations and infections
JCVI recommends autumn Covid booster for over-65s and clinically vulnerable Residents in care homes, over-65s and those in a clinical risk group will be eligible for a Covid-19 booster jab this autumn. This is an amendment to last year’s autumn campaign, when everyone over the age of 50 was eligible for a booster. And it is in line with the eligible age range for the influe ... Date: 08-08-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Vaccinations and infections
Exclusive: More than 15% of pharmacies sign up to provide contraception service More than 15% of community pharmacies in England have signed up to provide the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service, The Pharmacist can reveal. According to figures from the NHS Business Services Authority, ... Date: 07-07-2023 Categories: • News
Mobile health clinic: 'It makes healthcare easy to access' ... nd were putting together a clinical team to support healthcare outreach. We provided staff from the pharmacy and went out on four occasions with them when there was a big push to get everyone a Covid booster, so I had that in my mind. I didn’t really have a business plan, but I had a hunch it would help us meet a need. We've now been running a mobile health bus since Summer 2022. How much did it cos ... Date: 28-04-2023 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Vaccinations and infections
Youth vaccination uptake yet to return to pre-pandemic levels ... ard how community pharmacy has the potential to provide a ‘real solution’ to vaccination access across the country. In 2021/22, just 69% of young people in Year 9 received the teenage (Td/IPV) booster and the MenACWY vaccine, compared to 76% in the previous year, according to figures released today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA s ... Date: 24-04-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Vaccinations and infections
Pharmacies omitted from children’s polio jab campaign a ‘lost opportunity’ The decision by the NHS in London to exclude pharmacies from the delivery of polio catch-up vaccines to primary school children in the capital has been met with surprise, with one community pharmacist descri ... Date: 13-04-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Paediatrics • Vaccinations and infections
Vulnerable children aged six months to four years now eligible for Covid jab ... not going away so I would encourage all parents to bring their child forward if they are eligible. Parents should wait to be contacted by their local health professionals.’ The Spring Covid-19 booster programme also starts this month with care home residents being offered the vaccine first. It is also the last chance for anyone to get a first or second Covid vaccine dose with the offer being ... Date: 11-04-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Paediatrics • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections
Pharmacy chain appeals to older people and vulnerable to get latest Covid-19 booster ... who are vulnerable to take up the offer of a fourth Covid-19 vaccination this spring. As of today, those eligible in England can use the NHS national booking service or NHS app to book a Covid-19 booster jab. The first appointments will be available from 17 April. In England, the latest Covid-19 booster vaccine is being offered to those aged 75 and over, to those with a weakened immune system and ... Date: 05-04-2023 Categories: • News
Pharmacy commissioning: Will ICBs be the sector’s friend or foe? ... sting premises [and] the role of community pharmacy in the programme has continued to increase, with community pharmacy delivering over 60% of the Covid vaccinations in phase 5, and for the Spring 23 booster programme, community pharmacy will be the main provider for the vaccinations.’ But with room for improvement? Nonetheless, since it’s relatively early days, it’s not surprising that there ... Date: 03-04-2023 Categories: • Analysis
First and second Covid jabs offer to end in June People will no longer be able to get a first or second dose of Covid-19 vaccine after 30 June, the Government has announced. Setting out more details of the spring booster campaign for the most vulnerable, health and social care secretary Steve Barclay urged anyone who had not yet taken up the offer of a first or second Covid dose to come forward. He added that NHS ... Date: 15-03-2023 Categories: • Respiratory
Pharmacies asked to begin spring Covid booster campaign in April Community pharmacies and other providers have been asked to prepare for this year’s spring Covid vaccine booster programme which should begin on 17 April and end on 30 June. The campaign will offer booster vaccinations to those aged 75 and over, residents in care homes, and those aged five and over who are i ... Date: 28-02-2023 Categories: • News
Covid mortality rates no longer higher among ethnic minority groups People from ethnic minority backgrounds are no longer statistically more likely to die from Covid-19, the latest analysis from the Office for National Statistics shows. Since January 2022, when Omicron be ... Date: 28-02-2023 Categories: • News • Respiratory
People urged to book Covid boosters in final week Nearly 400,000 Covid booster appointments are available this week, giving people one last chance to book before the programme ends. So far 15,000 people have booked their Covid vaccine next week, but the NHS said there are st ... Date: 06-02-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Respiratory
Travel health update: counterfeit medicines and disease outbreaks ... oard (to 7 February). The goal of the Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026 is to permanently interrupt all poliovirus transmission in endemic countries. Travellers are advised to consider having a booster dose of polio vaccine if it has been more than 10 years since their last booster and they are travelling to a country where polio remains a problem. Yellow fever in Africa The WHO has report ... Date: 03-02-2023 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections
DHSC wasted almost £15bn on 'unusable' Covid supplies, watchdog finds Almost £15bn worth of Covid supplies including PPE, vaccines, and lateral flow tests have been wasted by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the Government’s own watchdog has found. The DH ... Date: 27-01-2023 Categories: • News • Respiratory
Covid boosters should be offered to high risk patients in spring and autumn, says JCVI Covid booster vaccinations should be offered in spring and autumn this year for select groups of patients at high risk, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended. Interim advice ... Date: 25-01-2023 Categories: • News • Respiratory
'Twindemic' fears have been realised as Covid and flu cases rise, says NHS The NHS has warned that fears of a ‘twindemic’ have been realised as Covid and flu cases rise, continuing to pile pressure on overstretched healthcare services. New data shows that there were 3,764 pa ... Date: 03-01-2023 Categories: • News • Respiratory
Almost a quarter of adults ‘would be unlikely to accept flu vaccine’ ... e has been a huge success. ‘More than 151 million jabs have been given in the UK in just two years, saving more than 100,000 lives, and more than 16 million people have already had their autumn booster jab. ‘We’ve worked with the NHS to provide advice and information at every opportunity on how to get a vaccine and its benefits – including through partnerships with clinicians, vaccine expe ... Date: 21-12-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections
Covid booster scheme extended to people with a severe mental illness People with severe mental illness are now eligible for a Covid-19 booster and should receive a letter from their GP inviting them to have the jab, NHS England has said. It includes individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or any mental illness that causes sever ... Date: 31-10-2022 Categories: • News
What does Steve Barclay’s return as health secretary mean for pharmacists? ... in the season’. And in August, he accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that all children in London between the ages of one and nine should have a polio booster, beginning with the ‘most impacted boroughs’. Barclay on drugs In 2018, in response to a question about the high cost of specials, Mr Barclay said that he was ‘looking at’ how the NHS could ... Date: 26-10-2022 Categories: • News
I’ve had my flu jab, but… ... eedback from patients, and then do something with that information if you do receive it? How do you help the patient have the best experience possible in your pharmacy? I’m booked in for a Covid booster as well soon – I’ll report back. Date: 17-10-2022 Categories: • Community • Views
Pharmacists ‘paying out of own pocket’ to deliver polio vaccine ... occasions, lead to cases of paralysis in unvaccinated individuals. No patient has yet been diagnosed with polio. All children aged between one and nine in Greater London were then offered a polio booster vaccine by 26 September, beginning in areas in North and East London, where the virus was detected. Pharmacies receive the standard £10.06 Item of Service fee per vaccine. Huge demand for the b ... Date: 28-09-2022 Categories: • News
UK could face Covid and flu ‘twindemic’ this winter ... ll said this winter ‘could be the first time we see the effects of the so-called twindemic’ of flu and Covid-19. With 33 million people offered a flu jab and 26 million offered an autumn Covid booster vaccination this year through pharmacies and other NHS services, Mr Russell urged those eligible to ‘come forward for vaccines in order to protect themselves and those around them’. Dr Susan H ... Date: 28-09-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections
Over two million autumn Covid boosters administered in first fortnight More than two million autumn boosters have been administered in the first fortnight of the autumn Covid vaccine booster campaign, NHS England has said. It comes as Covid infection are now on the rise again for the first time since Ju ... Date: 26-09-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections
Novavax Covid jab should not be co-administered with flu jab ... ey can be administered at any interval, although separating the vaccines by a day or two will avoid confusion over systemic side effects. Many pharmacies are offering both the flu jab and Covid-19 booster vaccination services this winter. LloydsPharmacy has predicted a 20% increase in flu jab bookings compared to last year. In August, NHS England advised healthcare professionals that the three mRNA ... Date: 23-09-2022 Categories: • News
Pregnant women targeted with Covid vaccine misinformation Covid vaccine advice for pregnant women has not changed, the Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed after false reports on social media. It comes ahead of the start of an autumn booster campaign to be rolled out to the over-50s and clinical at-risk groups, which includes pregnant women. A post shared widely on Twitter stated that the Government had quietly removed approval for C ... Date: 06-09-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections
NHS England denies issues with Covid booster supply Some pharmacies have only received ‘a fraction’ of the Covid booster vaccine supply that they have ordered, a pharmacy leader has said, but NHS England has denied there are issues with supply. Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multip ... Date: 06-09-2022 Categories: • News
Pfizer Omicron jab added to autumn booster campaign Pfizer’s new bivalent vaccine targeting the Omicron Covid variant has been added to the autumn booster campaign launching today. From Wednesday, around seven million people who are either health and care workers, over-75 or immunosuppressed are invited to book their booster jab. It comes as NHS ... Date: 05-09-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections
Travel clinic: 'People travel from London to come to us' ... the time. So I thought it would be a good way of tapping into a market which was not well served. Now it is more common, but because I built up a client base over the years people come back for their boosters and I get a lot of referrals via word of mouth and from a lot of local surgeries. I even get customers coming from east London – which is a surprise that people will travel that far considering ... Date: 05-09-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections
Oestrogel supply doubles but HRT shortages remain ... firmed to The Pharmacist that the HRT taskforce will be disbanded, with the head of the taskforce Madelaine McTernan returning to her role as director general of the vaccine taskforce ahead of autumn booster campaigns. The DHSC and the UK-wide menopause taskforce are now responsible for carrying out recommendations to tackle shortages, it added. However, critics have stressed to The Pharmacist that ... Date: 31-08-2022 Categories: • News
Dual-variant Covid jab to be used in booster campaign from 5 September The NHS will deliver the autumn Covid booster campaign from 5 September, with patients set to receive Moderna’s new dual vaccine that targets both the original virus strain and the Omicron variant. An NHS England letter to community pharmac ... Date: 19-08-2022 Categories: • News
PSNC disappointed with 2022/23 flu vaccine fee ... Service Flu report published by NHS Business Service Authority. This comes after The Pharmacist asked Clinical Ambassador pharmacies in Leicester, Pentre and Stevenage about their plans for Covid boosters and flu vaccinations this autumn, given the predicted surge in flu this year. Date: 18-08-2022 Categories: • News
Covid vaccination in pregnancy not linked to higher risk of stillbirth, study confirms ... evidence-based decision making about Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy.’ The researchers were unable to assess vaccination before pregnancy or around the time of conception or the effect of booster doses, and they called for studies assessing similar outcomes after immunisation with non-mRNA Covid-19 vaccine types during pregnancy to be prioritised. In a letter, sent in January to health bod ... Date: 18-08-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections
Timely Covid booster more important than type of vaccine, says government Getting a Covid booster in good time before the winter season is more important for those eligible than the type of vaccine that is received, the Government has said, with four jabs now on offer. The Government yesterday ... Date: 17-08-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections

Pharmacies and GP practices begin delivering spring Covid-19 vaccines ... ctices will this week begin delivering the NHS spring Covid-19 vaccination programme, with more than half a million appointments booked ahead of the launch in England. Some 563,154 Covid-19 spring booster jabs have been booked since the national booking system opened last Tuesday, as others eligible are also encouraged to book in. The NHS spring programme is open to those aged 75 and over (includin ... Date: 02-04-2025 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

Pharmacists eligible for Covid vaccination, government confirms ... id-19 vaccination service, the government has confirmed. And patients aged over 65, care home residents and patients who are pregnant or in a clinical at-risk group will be eligible for the autumn booster, the government confirmed this week. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed to The Pharmacist today that its vaccination offer would extend to primary and community healthcare ... Date: 09-08-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Vaccinations and infections

Another baby dies from whooping cough as cases surpass 10,000 ... d. All babies are also given three doses of the 6-in-1 jab at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age to protect against whooping cough and other serious diseases such as diphtheria and polio, with a pre-school booster offered at 3 years 4 months. UKHSA director of immunisation Dr Mary Ramsay said: ‘With cases continuing to rise and, sadly, 10 infant deaths since the outbreak began last November, ensuring wome ... Date: 08-08-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

Pharmacies told to plan for October start for autumn Covid jabs ... ation ‘that the autumn 2024 campaign may be smaller than the autumn 2023 campaign’. Last year, residents in care homes, over-65s and those in a clinical risk group were eligible for a Covid-19 booster jab. Today's announcement follows previous advice that the flu vaccination programme would begin in October this year in order to maximise vaccine effectiveness. The government said in March th ... Date: 30-05-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections

NHS opens national booking system for spring Covid-19 vaccinations ... s by the end of 2023 – a quarter (24.85%) of all Covid-19 vaccines up to that date. Today will also see the start of visits to older adult care homes and eligible household patients for Covid-19 booster jabs. NHSE is also encouraging those eligible to get the shingles vaccine, which is recommended for all adults turning 65, those aged 70 to 79, and those aged 50 and over with a severely weakened ... Date: 15-04-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections

UKHSA: More preventable diseases will re-emerge without vaccination uptake boost ... 8% and MMR, combined haemophilus influenzae type b and meningitis C, pneumococcal and meningitis B vaccine are all between 87% and 88% the figures show. Small increases were seen in the pre-school booster and MMR for children aged five years but at 85% both are far under the target needed for herd immunity. With the exception of rotavirus vaccination, figures were a bit higher for vaccinations in c ... Date: 03-04-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • In Practice • News • Vaccinations and infections

Quarter of all Covid vaccines administered in community pharmacies ... mes in the wake of NHS England’s decision to extend the national enhanced service for the Covid-19 vaccination programme until 31 August 2024 and confirmation of eligibility for the spring Covid-19 booster programme. Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the CCA, said: ‘Administering over 40 million Covid-19 vaccines, a quarter of all vaccines to date, is a truly fantastic achievement by the sector ... Date: 15-02-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections

Covid-19 vaccine contract extensions to carry added spring payment Pharmacies currently providing the Covid-19 vaccine are being asked by NHS England (NHSE) to extend their service provision contracts until 31 August 2024. The extension covers a potential spring booster programme, with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) set to publish their guidance soon. While the fee for the extension period remains at £7.54 per vaccination, NHSE has ag ... Date: 05-02-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

Covid undervaccination led to thousands of deaths in UK ... nclusion of data from the whole UK population – the first of its kind – is a ‘remarkable achievement’. The UK Health Security Agency recently found that there is a continued need for Covid boosters since protection wanes after six months. In its long-awaited national vaccination strategy, published in December, NHS England revealed that vaccinations will become part of a ‘one-stop shop’ ... Date: 23-01-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections

Covid boosters needed as vaccine protection wanes after six months, finds UKHSA There is a continued need for Covid boosters, according to a Government study, which found they provide significant protection against death but this wanes after six months. Researchers from the UK Health Security Agency analysed data on mo ... Date: 02-01-2024 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections

Covid and flu hospital admissions twice as high in deprived areas, UKHSA warns ... n rates’. Differences in vaccine uptake is one factor that has been shown to drive inequalities in health outcomes with disparities since the start of the Covid-19 vaccine campaign persisting as boosters have been offered, the report concluded. Influenza vaccination in those who are eligible is also consistently lower in the most deprived areas with last year’s figures also showing wide variati ... Date: 11-12-2023 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

Limiting Covid boosters to the over-80s would be more cost-effective Limiting autumn Covid boosters to the over-80s, and high-risk over-45s, would have been the most cost-effective option, according to a Government impact assessment. But the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI ... Date: 11-10-2023 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections

More than one in 10 eligible given flu and Covid jabs amid ‘chaotic’ start ... three million people out of an eligible population of 30 million had received their flu vaccination, as well as more than two million people out of an eligible population of 20 million for the Covid booster. And in a statement published on Sunday about the new BA.2.86 variant, UKHSA said that vaccination was likely to provide continued protection and that it would continue to monitor vaccine effectiv ... Date: 05-10-2023 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections

Encourage pregnant women to take up Covid jab offer, NHSE asks Community pharmacies and other vaccination providers are being urged to make sure pregnant women know they are eligible for booster vaccinations this autumn amid concerns over the latest Covid variant. A total of 1.16 million Covid jabs were delivered in total in the first week of the programme. Some 2.8 million flu jabs were ... Date: 26-09-2023 Categories: • Clinical • Community • News • Vaccinations and infections

CPE slams 'shambolic' vaccination U-turn despite additional funding ... h he said would ‘make it more financially viable for some pharmacy owners to take part’. And he said that the negotiating body understood and support the clinical rationale for the accelerated booster campaign. But he called the government’s roll-out of the campaign, which saw the expected start date for flu vaccinations change from September to October in line with Covid vaccinations, which ... Date: 30-08-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Respiratory

UKHSA: No blanket restriction on private Covid vaccines ... accine Unit at UKHSA, said: ‘The Covid-19 vaccination programme continues to target those at higher risk of serious illness in line with JCVI advice, as those groups are most likely to benefit from booster vaccination at this time. ‘The Covid-19 vaccine is not currently available to buy privately in the UK but there is no blanket restriction on private sales of licensed vaccines. UKHSA will contin ... Date: 21-08-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Vaccinations and infections

Consultation launched on pharmacy technician PGDs The government has launched a consultation on whether registered pharmacy technicians should be allowed to supply medicines under a patient group direction (PGD). It also asks respondents whether the curr ... Date: 18-08-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Vaccinations and infections

JCVI recommends autumn Covid booster for over-65s and clinically vulnerable Residents in care homes, over-65s and those in a clinical risk group will be eligible for a Covid-19 booster jab this autumn. This is an amendment to last year’s autumn campaign, when everyone over the age of 50 was eligible for a booster. And it is in line with the eligible age range for the influe ... Date: 08-08-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Vaccinations and infections

Exclusive: More than 15% of pharmacies sign up to provide contraception service More than 15% of community pharmacies in England have signed up to provide the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service, The Pharmacist can reveal. According to figures from the NHS Business Services Authority, ... Date: 07-07-2023 Categories: • News

Mobile health clinic: 'It makes healthcare easy to access' ... nd were putting together a clinical team to support healthcare outreach. We provided staff from the pharmacy and went out on four occasions with them when there was a big push to get everyone a Covid booster, so I had that in my mind. I didn’t really have a business plan, but I had a hunch it would help us meet a need. We've now been running a mobile health bus since Summer 2022. How much did it cos ... Date: 28-04-2023 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Vaccinations and infections

Youth vaccination uptake yet to return to pre-pandemic levels ... ard how community pharmacy has the potential to provide a ‘real solution’ to vaccination access across the country. In 2021/22, just 69% of young people in Year 9 received the teenage (Td/IPV) booster and the MenACWY vaccine, compared to 76% in the previous year, according to figures released today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA s ... Date: 24-04-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Vaccinations and infections

Pharmacies omitted from children’s polio jab campaign a ‘lost opportunity’ The decision by the NHS in London to exclude pharmacies from the delivery of polio catch-up vaccines to primary school children in the capital has been met with surprise, with one community pharmacist descri ... Date: 13-04-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Paediatrics • Vaccinations and infections

Vulnerable children aged six months to four years now eligible for Covid jab ... not going away so I would encourage all parents to bring their child forward if they are eligible. Parents should wait to be contacted by their local health professionals.’ The Spring Covid-19 booster programme also starts this month with care home residents being offered the vaccine first. It is also the last chance for anyone to get a first or second Covid vaccine dose with the offer being ... Date: 11-04-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Paediatrics • Respiratory • Vaccinations and infections

Pharmacy chain appeals to older people and vulnerable to get latest Covid-19 booster ... who are vulnerable to take up the offer of a fourth Covid-19 vaccination this spring. As of today, those eligible in England can use the NHS national booking service or NHS app to book a Covid-19 booster jab. The first appointments will be available from 17 April. In England, the latest Covid-19 booster vaccine is being offered to those aged 75 and over, to those with a weakened immune system and ... Date: 05-04-2023 Categories: • News

Pharmacy commissioning: Will ICBs be the sector’s friend or foe? ... sting premises [and] the role of community pharmacy in the programme has continued to increase, with community pharmacy delivering over 60% of the Covid vaccinations in phase 5, and for the Spring 23 booster programme, community pharmacy will be the main provider for the vaccinations.’ But with room for improvement? Nonetheless, since it’s relatively early days, it’s not surprising that there ... Date: 03-04-2023 Categories: • Analysis

First and second Covid jabs offer to end in June People will no longer be able to get a first or second dose of Covid-19 vaccine after 30 June, the Government has announced. Setting out more details of the spring booster campaign for the most vulnerable, health and social care secretary Steve Barclay urged anyone who had not yet taken up the offer of a first or second Covid dose to come forward. He added that NHS ... Date: 15-03-2023 Categories: • Respiratory

Pharmacies asked to begin spring Covid booster campaign in April Community pharmacies and other providers have been asked to prepare for this year’s spring Covid vaccine booster programme which should begin on 17 April and end on 30 June. The campaign will offer booster vaccinations to those aged 75 and over, residents in care homes, and those aged five and over who are i ... Date: 28-02-2023 Categories: • News

Covid mortality rates no longer higher among ethnic minority groups People from ethnic minority backgrounds are no longer statistically more likely to die from Covid-19, the latest analysis from the Office for National Statistics shows. Since January 2022, when Omicron be ... Date: 28-02-2023 Categories: • News • Respiratory

People urged to book Covid boosters in final week Nearly 400,000 Covid booster appointments are available this week, giving people one last chance to book before the programme ends. So far 15,000 people have booked their Covid vaccine next week, but the NHS said there are st ... Date: 06-02-2023 Categories: • Clinical • News • Respiratory

Travel health update: counterfeit medicines and disease outbreaks ... oard (to 7 February). The goal of the Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026 is to permanently interrupt all poliovirus transmission in endemic countries. Travellers are advised to consider having a booster dose of polio vaccine if it has been more than 10 years since their last booster and they are travelling to a country where polio remains a problem. Yellow fever in Africa The WHO has report ... Date: 03-02-2023 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections

DHSC wasted almost £15bn on 'unusable' Covid supplies, watchdog finds Almost £15bn worth of Covid supplies including PPE, vaccines, and lateral flow tests have been wasted by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the Government’s own watchdog has found. The DH ... Date: 27-01-2023 Categories: • News • Respiratory

Covid boosters should be offered to high risk patients in spring and autumn, says JCVI Covid booster vaccinations should be offered in spring and autumn this year for select groups of patients at high risk, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended. Interim advice ... Date: 25-01-2023 Categories: • News • Respiratory

'Twindemic' fears have been realised as Covid and flu cases rise, says NHS The NHS has warned that fears of a ‘twindemic’ have been realised as Covid and flu cases rise, continuing to pile pressure on overstretched healthcare services. New data shows that there were 3,764 pa ... Date: 03-01-2023 Categories: • News • Respiratory

Almost a quarter of adults ‘would be unlikely to accept flu vaccine’ ... e has been a huge success. ‘More than 151 million jabs have been given in the UK in just two years, saving more than 100,000 lives, and more than 16 million people have already had their autumn booster jab. ‘We’ve worked with the NHS to provide advice and information at every opportunity on how to get a vaccine and its benefits – including through partnerships with clinicians, vaccine expe ... Date: 21-12-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections

Covid booster scheme extended to people with a severe mental illness People with severe mental illness are now eligible for a Covid-19 booster and should receive a letter from their GP inviting them to have the jab, NHS England has said. It includes individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or any mental illness that causes sever ... Date: 31-10-2022 Categories: • News

What does Steve Barclay’s return as health secretary mean for pharmacists? ... in the season’. And in August, he accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that all children in London between the ages of one and nine should have a polio booster, beginning with the ‘most impacted boroughs’. Barclay on drugs In 2018, in response to a question about the high cost of specials, Mr Barclay said that he was ‘looking at’ how the NHS could ... Date: 26-10-2022 Categories: • News

I’ve had my flu jab, but… ... eedback from patients, and then do something with that information if you do receive it? How do you help the patient have the best experience possible in your pharmacy? I’m booked in for a Covid booster as well soon – I’ll report back. Date: 17-10-2022 Categories: • Community • Views

Pharmacists ‘paying out of own pocket’ to deliver polio vaccine ... occasions, lead to cases of paralysis in unvaccinated individuals. No patient has yet been diagnosed with polio. All children aged between one and nine in Greater London were then offered a polio booster vaccine by 26 September, beginning in areas in North and East London, where the virus was detected. Pharmacies receive the standard £10.06 Item of Service fee per vaccine. Huge demand for the b ... Date: 28-09-2022 Categories: • News

UK could face Covid and flu ‘twindemic’ this winter ... ll said this winter ‘could be the first time we see the effects of the so-called twindemic’ of flu and Covid-19. With 33 million people offered a flu jab and 26 million offered an autumn Covid booster vaccination this year through pharmacies and other NHS services, Mr Russell urged those eligible to ‘come forward for vaccines in order to protect themselves and those around them’. Dr Susan H ... Date: 28-09-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections

Over two million autumn Covid boosters administered in first fortnight More than two million autumn boosters have been administered in the first fortnight of the autumn Covid vaccine booster campaign, NHS England has said. It comes as Covid infection are now on the rise again for the first time since Ju ... Date: 26-09-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections

Novavax Covid jab should not be co-administered with flu jab ... ey can be administered at any interval, although separating the vaccines by a day or two will avoid confusion over systemic side effects. Many pharmacies are offering both the flu jab and Covid-19 booster vaccination services this winter. LloydsPharmacy has predicted a 20% increase in flu jab bookings compared to last year. In August, NHS England advised healthcare professionals that the three mRNA ... Date: 23-09-2022 Categories: • News

Pregnant women targeted with Covid vaccine misinformation Covid vaccine advice for pregnant women has not changed, the Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed after false reports on social media. It comes ahead of the start of an autumn booster campaign to be rolled out to the over-50s and clinical at-risk groups, which includes pregnant women. A post shared widely on Twitter stated that the Government had quietly removed approval for C ... Date: 06-09-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections

NHS England denies issues with Covid booster supply Some pharmacies have only received ‘a fraction’ of the Covid booster vaccine supply that they have ordered, a pharmacy leader has said, but NHS England has denied there are issues with supply. Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multip ... Date: 06-09-2022 Categories: • News

Pfizer Omicron jab added to autumn booster campaign Pfizer’s new bivalent vaccine targeting the Omicron Covid variant has been added to the autumn booster campaign launching today. From Wednesday, around seven million people who are either health and care workers, over-75 or immunosuppressed are invited to book their booster jab. It comes as NHS ... Date: 05-09-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections

Travel clinic: 'People travel from London to come to us' ... the time. So I thought it would be a good way of tapping into a market which was not well served. Now it is more common, but because I built up a client base over the years people come back for their boosters and I get a lot of referrals via word of mouth and from a lot of local surgeries. I even get customers coming from east London – which is a surprise that people will travel that far considering ... Date: 05-09-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections

Oestrogel supply doubles but HRT shortages remain ... firmed to The Pharmacist that the HRT taskforce will be disbanded, with the head of the taskforce Madelaine McTernan returning to her role as director general of the vaccine taskforce ahead of autumn booster campaigns. The DHSC and the UK-wide menopause taskforce are now responsible for carrying out recommendations to tackle shortages, it added. However, critics have stressed to The Pharmacist that ... Date: 31-08-2022 Categories: • News

Dual-variant Covid jab to be used in booster campaign from 5 September The NHS will deliver the autumn Covid booster campaign from 5 September, with patients set to receive Moderna’s new dual vaccine that targets both the original virus strain and the Omicron variant. An NHS England letter to community pharmac ... Date: 19-08-2022 Categories: • News

PSNC disappointed with 2022/23 flu vaccine fee ... Service Flu report published by NHS Business Service Authority. This comes after The Pharmacist asked Clinical Ambassador pharmacies in Leicester, Pentre and Stevenage about their plans for Covid boosters and flu vaccinations this autumn, given the predicted surge in flu this year. Date: 18-08-2022 Categories: • News

Covid vaccination in pregnancy not linked to higher risk of stillbirth, study confirms ... evidence-based decision making about Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy.’ The researchers were unable to assess vaccination before pregnancy or around the time of conception or the effect of booster doses, and they called for studies assessing similar outcomes after immunisation with non-mRNA Covid-19 vaccine types during pregnancy to be prioritised. In a letter, sent in January to health bod ... Date: 18-08-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections

Timely Covid booster more important than type of vaccine, says government Getting a Covid booster in good time before the winter season is more important for those eligible than the type of vaccine that is received, the Government has said, with four jabs now on offer. The Government yesterday ... Date: 17-08-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations and infections

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