The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has, this evening (14th December 2020), updated its guidance on the use of DHSC procured flu vaccines by pharmacy contractors.

The change to the guidance now allows contractors to use the DHSC procured stock to vaccinate frontline health and social care workers through occupational health schemes or through private vaccination arrangements; previously, vaccination of such workers through private vaccination services, where the patient pays for the vaccination*, was not allowed.

This change in the DHSC guidance does not allow more general use of the DHSC procured flu vaccines in private vaccination services; contractors can currently only use the stock for patients in groups A and B (patients, including those 50 to 64 years old, and frontline social care workers as set out in appendix A of the community pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service specification, and frontline health and social care workers through private vaccinations or occupational health schemes).

Full information on the requirements for accessing the stock is available in the DHSC guidance, which all contractors who want to access the stock should read:

Read the DHSC guidance

* The patient may subsequently claim back the cost of the vaccination from their employer.