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Community pharmacies delivered more than one in ten of all respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccinations during a pilot aimed to increase vaccination rates among older adults and pregnant women, according to an analysis by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The analysis of the pilot, published by UKHSA on 18 March 2026, revealed that around 8,900 RSV vaccine doses were administered in community pharmacy settings, representing 12% of the total doses given across all settings in that period.
The pilot involved 37 community pharmacies across two integrated care boards (ICBs) in the east of England and ran between October 2024 and February 2025. During the same period, vaccinations were also delivered at 236 GP sites.
Although there were fewer pharmacies than GP sites involved, the average number of vaccines given per pharmacy was similar to the average GP site delivery, the analysis found.
The analysis also revealed that the mean number of doses per pharmacy was 241, compared with 266 in GP sites.
One reason for the pilot was to test community pharmacies’ potential to increase equity in access to the vaccine. However, the analysis said that the ethnicity profile — and the proportion of individuals from the most deprived index of multiple deprivation — was very similar across pharmacists and GP sites.
The analysis also said that, in any future programme, pharmacies serving more socioeconomically and ethnically diverse populations should be prioritised.
In future programmes, pharmacies should offer vaccination services outside traditional working hours “to reduce access barriers for working populations and caregivers”, it recommended.
The analysis noted that “significant operational barriers” were reported by community pharmacies, particularly those that relied on locum staff, which “struggled with workforce consistency and training”.
There were also issues around cold storage limitations, as well as overlapping demands from other vaccination programmes, and confusion around vaccine ordering and payment codes, the analysis said.
“These findings suggest that while the pharmacy model is feasible, it relied on intensive support that may not be easily scaled”, the analysis concluded, adding that future expansion would require “considerable strategic investment and planning”.
There are plans for the expansion of the RSV vaccination programme to up to 200 community pharmacies in identified areas under a national enhanced service framework.
According to an update published by Community Pharmacy England on 26 February 2026, “tenders for the service are progressing in the Midlands and North West regions”, with potential for sites in London.
The analysis said the expansion “presents a critical opportunity to address the limitations identified in this early adopter pilot and to systematically evaluate the potential impact of adding this supplementary provider on health inequalities”.
Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association, commented: “We welcome UKHSA’s evaluation of the RSV early adopter programme, which provides further evidence of the important role community pharmacy plays in extending the reach of NHS vaccination services.
“Achieving this level of impact on short notice is impressive. Even greater benefits could be realised with expanded commissioning, a longer lead-in and time for services to fully embed. Pharmacy-led vaccination programmes have the potential to deliver substantial benefits, particularly by improving access and addressing inequalities amongst underserved communities,” he added.
“The government should build on the impact demonstrated in this pilot and commission community pharmacies to administer a whole range of NHS vaccinations.”
On 19 March 2026, NHS data showed that 2.6 million people in England had received an RSV vaccine between 1 September 2025 and 15 March 2026. Of these, the greatest proportion (12%, n=330,651) were in the east of England.
