Pharmacies deliver on MenB jabs amid MP concern over vaccination rates

Almost a quarter of a million MenB jabs have been provided by community pharmacies in just six weeks, providing a timely example of the sector’s ability to provide convenient access to vaccinations as MPs raised concerns about declining vaccine uptake.

In yesterday’s Westminster Hall debate on vaccination rates in England, MPs highlighted that uptake for routine vaccination programmes has been falling and that the 95% World Health Organization coverage target is not being met for routine childhood programmes. Concerns were raised about inequalities in vaccine uptake alongside recent measles outbreaks, suggesting a need to rebuild confidence and access.

Ahead of the debate, Community Pharmacy England briefed a number of its MP supporters, with several speaking during the debate. Danny Beales, a member of the Health Select Committee and MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, described how the Government and NHS should be “making far better use of our community pharmacy network” due to their strong community connection.

Fellow Health Select Committee member Ben Coleman agreed, speaking of his own efforts to encourage local commissioning of vaccinations through pharmacy: “All families go to pharmacies, so it seemed an obvious thing to do”. Meanwhile, Josh Newbury, MP for Cannock Chase, used statistics to drive the value of community pharmacies home:

“We know that vaccination programmes delivered strictly through GP practices see up to 27% lower uptake in deprived areas, whereas accessible pharmacy, community and neighbourhood programmes narrow that gap to as little as 7%.”

However, Mr Beales said progress to pilot and commission vaccination programmes through community pharmacy has been slow and is being further hampered by a lack of integration across healthcare systems.

As Parliament discussed the merits of the community pharmacy network for improving access to vaccinations, the latest NHS figures show community pharmacies in England have delivered 246,089 Meningitis B vaccinations since 20th July under the one-off programme for young people.

When pharmacies are appropriately commissioned and mobilised, they can quickly deliver large-scale vaccination access close to where people live, study and work. Their convenient locations, trusted community presence and ability to support public health campaigns at pace make them the ideal core vaccination provider.

Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services at Community Pharmacy England, said:

“Community pharmacy teams have delivered almost a quarter of a million MenB vaccinations in just a matter of weeks, helping young people get protected before they start university or further education. At a time when MPs are rightly concerned about falling vaccination rates, this shows the huge public health value of making vaccination easy to access through local pharmacies. Pharmacy teams stand ready to support more vaccination programmes, but they need sustainable commissioning and planning so this access can be built into the system for the long term.”