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Community pharmacies delivered almost half of all Covid-19 vaccinations during the autumn campaign, according to newly published government data. 

The figures show that pharmacies administered around 45 per cent of jabs, underlining their central role in the national vaccination effort.

Pharmacies are also providing a significant share of the adult flu programme. More than 4.2 million flu vaccinations have already been given in community pharmacy settings – exceeding last year’s total, with further data still to come. This accounts for around 33 per cent of all adult flu vaccines delivered so far.

Demand for pharmacy-led immunisation services continues to rise. By the end of October 2025, pharmacies had administered 3.3 million flu vaccines, a 10 per cent increase on the same point in 2024.

Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association, commented: “Community pharmacies are proving once again that they are central to the NHS vaccination effort. Delivering nearly half of all Covid vaccinations in the autumn campaign, and already more adult flu vaccines than last year underscores just how vital community pharmacies are to vaccination efforts.

“About one-third of all adult flu vaccines to date have been administered through pharmacies, and we are yet to count the last few months. This shows the sector’s ability to consistently reach patients promptly, safely, and conveniently.

“The evidence is clear that pharmacies should be commissioned to deliver a wider range of NHS vaccines. With the right commissioning framework, community pharmacy can play an even greater role in protecting public health and easing pressure across the wider NHS.”

CCA calls for greater pharmacy role in immunisation programme

The CCA has also told the Health and Social Care Committee that there was an opportunity to “harness community pharmacy to drive vaccine coverage and uptake, especially amongst underserved communities”.

Community pharmacy had the potential to administer all adult NHS vaccination programmes, and in time, contribute to the entire National Immunisation Programme, it said in a letter to the Health and Social Care Committee, following a hearing on vaccinations last month.

The CCA urged NHS England to commission routine vaccinations from pharmacies by age cohorts to allow vaccines to be promoted and offered opportunistically. At the moment, if any of the 5 million patients who use their pharmacy for a vaccine are eligible for another vaccine (e.g. shingles or pneumococcal vaccines), they have to go elsewhere.

The CCA said it was a “cause for concern” that none of the 14 childhood vaccines administered in the UK currently met the WHO target vaccination rate of 95 per cent, which was required to achieve herd immunity. Without action, “uptake rates could drop further, leading to avoidable disease outbreaks which could have serious health consequences”, it said.

An opportunistic approach to vaccination in pharmacy would “have a significant impact on overall uptake and make every contact count”. 

However, the CCA warned that early communication with the community pharmacy sector was necessary if the vaccination programmes change or are launched, as pharmacies needed time to scale up resources, and to invest in IT, premises and personnel. 

Despite the fact that pharmacies are set to be involved in a HPV catch-up campaign from this year, the sector had yet to receive any further details of how the programme would be undertaken, noted the association.