Influenza (Flu)

Shortage of cold and flu medicines increases pressure on pharmacies

Community pharmacists are claiming the current medicine supply system is broken, as price concessions reach record levels.…

National Institute for Health and Care Research to fund new phase of platform trial to assess treatments for severe flu

The 'Randomised, embedded, multi-factorial, adaptive platform trial for community-acquired pneumonia' was also designed to assess several treatments during a respiratory pandemic, such as COVID-19.…

Concern over ‘inappropriate’ flu vaccine being given to people aged over 65 years

An NHS regional flu lead has warned that patients aged over 65 years who have been given the QIVe vaccine should be recalled and possibly revaccinated.…

Patients aged 50 years and over to be offered COVID-19 booster and flu jabs 

Following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the government has confirmed eligibility for the COVID-19 booster jab, in addition to announcing plans to widen access to the NHS flu vaccine.…

Community pharmacies deliver a record 4.8 million flu vaccinations during winter 2021/2022

Data show a 73% increase in the number of flu vaccinations provided by community pharmacies in the 2021/2022 flu season, compared with the previous year.…

People aged 50 to 64 years will not be eligible for NHS flu vaccines in 2022/2023

The NHS flu vaccination programme will be returning to pre-pandemic recommendations for the 2022/2023 season.…

All pharmacists now eligible for free flu vaccination in England after U-turn

Additional funding has been set aside to allow for all "eligible primary care contractors" to be vaccinated against flu — including community pharmacy teams and locums — following pleas from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.…

It is ‘shocking’ that free flu vaccinations are not being offered to all pharmacists in England and Wales, says RPS

Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said the Society is "calling on the NHS to offer free flu vaccinations to pharmacists and pharmacy teams in both England and Wales, as is the case in Scotland”.…

Boots flu vaccination appointment bookings increase almost 70% year-on-year

Bookings for flu vaccinations at Boots stores increased by 67% between 1 July 2021 and 6 September 2021, when compared with the same time period in 2020.…

Pharmacists working in hospitals and general practice may face mandatory COVID-19 vaccination

The government has opened a consultation on making COVID-19 and flu vaccinations compulsory for frontline staff in general practice and hospitals, unless they are medically exempt.…