Pharmacies could help Covid jab take-up in harder to reach communities - MPs
Increasing the involvement of community pharmacies in the vaccine roll out will boost take up among minority groups, MPs have said.
Pharmacists say they can help in delivering the jab to harder to reach communities, with sites able to vaccinate up to 30 people each day who may not be willing to visit a mass vaccination centre.
The UK's vaccination programme has been a huge success, with more than 15 million people receiving the jab so far. However, concerns have been raised over the low take up among some ethnic minority communities.
Around 200 pharmacy-led vaccination sites in the country have delivered more than 350,000 jabs so far, but the vast majority of community pharmacies are not involved.
John Spellar, the Labour MP for Warley, said: "In many parts of the Black Country pharmacists are the face of the NHS, especially among minority ethnic groups, which are proving to be among the more difficult to contact with Covid information and vaccination.
"We need to understand that Covid will be with us in various forms for many years.
"There will be variants and mutations over time and it’s likely that annual vaccinations will be needed just as it is for flu. Now is the time to involve our community pharmacies."
Birmingham MP Liam Byrne, Labour's candidate for West Midlands Mayor, said it was "ridiculous" that pharmacies were being "overlooked".
"They have the expertise and the trust of their customers," he said, adding that using pharmacies would speed up the roll out and "see the nightmare of the lockdown lifted much earlier".
"I can understand that they are unable to provide those vaccines needing to be stored at very low temperatures, but they can certainly cope with the Oxford vaccine which can be stored in standard fridges."
The MPs said they had been told in a meeting with local pharmacists that they were being inundated with calls from customers asking for vaccinations and advice about Covid treatments.
Dev Dalvair, chair of Sandwell Local Pharmaceutical Committee, which represents all 87 pharmacies in the borough, said: “Pharmacists realise that people are desperate to get over this crisis.
"We have kept our doors open throughout the pandemic. We have worked under increased strain to ensure patients continued to receive quality services and advice within easy access from where they live, work, and shop.
"The Government should resource pharmacists better and needs to understand that we already play an important part in healthcare.
"We are trusted, willing and able and we can provide information and reassurance on every high street."
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said that "most pharmacies" in areas where there are “capacity gaps in service provision” can expect to be involved with the roll out when jabs are offered to people in cohorts 5-9.
