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The Company Chemists’ Association chief executive Malcolm Harrison has said community pharmacies can increase their delivery of flu vaccines following revelations that GPs in England are considering halting their roll-out of jabs because it is "no longer financially viable". 

Harrison’s suggestion that pharmacies are ready to fill any gaps in provision left by GPs who are unwilling to provide jabs came with the stark proviso that the Government bolsters pharmacy’s funding.

“The fee paid by the NHS for administering the flu jab has not kept pace with inflationary costs over the past decade,” he said. The British Medical Association (BMA) aired its own concerns about funding for the flu service and vaccinations in general, according to Pulse.

In a letter to the chief medical officer Chris Whitty on January 22, seen by Independent Community Pharmacist, Dr Julius Parker, the deputy chair of the BMA’s general practitioners committee, said funding for GP vaccination programmes has remained “static” since item of service payments were last increased in 2018-19 and had “fallen significantly behind inflation during that time, losing over a quarter of its value”.

Parker said GPs across the country told the BMA they will not sign up for next year’s flu programme and are not planning to order vaccine stock.

“We believe we are reaching the point that many practices may feel that participation in the annual flu programme is no longer a financially viable option,” he warned, “with costs of providing flu clinics, including additional staff, clinical time, having risen substantially in recent years, whilst funding for the programme has remained static.”

Insisting “delivery of vaccinations remains a core aspect of general practice”, Parker added: “As practices typically need to order such stock at the turn of the year ahead of the programme, a change in approach needs to happen quickly before it becomes too late for such practices to change their mind.”

Harrison expressed similar concerns when it came to pharmacies delivering more vaccinations but insisted they are ideally placed to administer jabs in local communities, particularly to hard-to-reach groups.

“Pharmacies have been part of the national programme since 2015 which seen continual growth in demand,” he said. “By the end of October 2025, they had administered 3.3 million flu vaccines, a 10 per cent growth compared to the previous year. 

“Many patients value the accessibility and convenience of receiving their vaccines from a local pharmacy. With more pharmacies in more deprived areas, pharmacies are also well placed to drive uptake amongst underserved communities and build greater vaccine confidence.”

Harrison added: “In time, we believe pharmacy has the potential to administer all NHS vaccines, giving the public greater choice to receive vaccines when and where they want them.

“Through the work of the Pharmacy Vaccination Development Group, hosted by the CCA, over the past two years, we have been working with manufacturers, suppliers, commissioners and regulators to unlock the potential of community pharmacy to help more people receive the vaccinations they need to stay healthy.”