Pharmacy Daily | Give us access to NIP flu vax stock

PHARMACISTS across the country should be allowed to administer influenza vaccinations funded through the National Immunisation Program (NIP), as part of a campaign to boost vaccine uptake, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia believes.

Guild National President, George Tambassis, backed calls made by Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, urging Australians to contact their pharmacists, GPs and other immunisation providers to arrange to get the flu jab, to minimise the virus's impact on the health system during the COVID-19 pandemic (PD breaking news).

Currently, pharmacists in Western Australia and the ACT have access to NIP vaccines on a trial basis, while pharmacists in Victoria are also eligible to administer vaccines under the program.

"The ongoing COVID-19 crisis highlights how critical it is to remain as healthy as possible to have a stronger resistance to catching it, or to recover quickly if you do catch it," Tambassis said.

"Australia is in the unenviable situation of having to deal with the crisis at a time of the year when we usually face the onset of the flu season.

"There is no vaccination for COVID-19 as yet, but there is for the flu and protecting yourself from this disease has never been more important. You need to remain as healthy as possible to reduce the likelihood of contracting COVID-19."

Speaking on a webinar hosted by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) last night, Royal Australia College of General Practitioners Chair, Dr Charlotte Hespe, urged pharmacists to focus on encouraging employers who would traditionally have had in-house vaccinations services, to send their staff to pharmacies to get their annual flu jab.

"They're obviously not going to be doing their mass vaccinations on site at their own premises this year, so there's going to be a large number of employees whose bosses will fund it, but this year it might be funded out in community pharmacy," she said.

Responding to a question during the webinar, Hespe and PSA National President, Dr Chris Freeman, voiced support for the entire population to be given access to Government-subsidised flu vaccinations this year.