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The community pharmacy pilot flu vaccination service for children aged 2-3 years has been extended and the fee increased to £10.06 for each vaccine administered. 

In addition, the service has been expanded to include opportunistic vaccination of two additional groups:

• Clinically at-risk children aged 2 years to less than 18 years
• Catch up vaccinations of school aged children (reception to year 11).

The expansion of the service to include clinically at-risk children will supplement administration of vaccines by general practice, and the vaccination of primary school and secondary school aged children supplements vaccination provision by the School Aged Immunisation Service. 

Most eligible children will be vaccinated with live attenuated influenza vaccine nasal spray suspension (LAIV) which will be supplied to pharmacies from centrally procured stock.

Director of NHS services at Community Pharmacy England (CPE), Alastair Buxton, said: “We are pleased to be able to agree this expansion of the Advanced service. While it remains a trial, we are confident that it will further demonstrate how community pharmacy teams will be able to support vaccination rates through the provision of a convenient and accessible service offer to parents and their eligible children.

“The expanded cohorts come after lobbying by Community Pharmacy England and other pharmacy bodies to expand the scope of vaccination services that the sector can offer.

“It represents yet another strategically important step forwards for community pharmacies to support the delivery of NHS vaccination programmes in line with our calls for the sector to become a hub for the provision of all NHS vaccinations.”

Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) said: "We've long called for pharmacies to be commissioned to provide more childhood vaccinations, particularly for teenagers and older children given the alarming drops we have seen in take up since the pandemic among this age group. 

"It's good pharmacies have been commissioned to provide flu vaccines to a wider group of children as well providing catch up vaccinations for those who might have missed out. It is also important pharmacies have been given a role to support those experiencing homelessness, who often do not have access to GP services. 

"Latest NPA analysis found that take up for flu vaccines among children had dropped to 52% last year, an 8% drop from the highs of 2018. In 15-16 year olds, it has fallen to a record low of 42%, less than half of all those eligible.

"There is growing evidence to show that using pharmacies to provide more NHS vaccinations helps to improve uptake and therefore prevent instances of serious illness, particularly in deprived communities who have historically been less likely to get vaccinated.

The service starts on 1 October this year.