With a busy winter ahead, we asked Clinical Ambassador pharmacies in Leicester, Pentre and Stevenage about their plans for Covid boosters and flu vaccinations this autumn. Our questions come after LloydsPharmacy said it was predicting a further 20% increase on last year in bookings for flu vaccinations, and some pharmacies are preparing to offer Covid boosters. 

Ravi Gokani, Mr Pickford’s Pharmacy, Leicester

'I would encourage pretty much every person to have the flu vaccine'

Will you be offering the flu vaccine this year? 

Yes, 100%. We offer it in store and we also go out to care homes and a school.  

How are preparations going? Has the government’s u-turn on offering the flu vaccine to those aged 50 to 64 affected you? 

All our vaccines are ordered by central office, but I haven't heard of a problem, so I’d say preparations are going well. 

Are you hoping to offer the Covid booster this autumn? 

We don't offer the Covid booster in branch because we are deemed to be too small, but three of our branches have been doing it. Also, at the height of the pandemic, a hall was donated to us for use as a Covid vaccination centre, and one of my colleagues was the vaccine lead there. As a company, we've delivered more than 100,000 vaccines. 

What are the advantages of having a pharmacy vaccination service? 

The benefit of having vaccinations in pharmacies is definitely the convenience. Patients come in to collect their prescriptions and we ask them if they've had the flu vaccine. If they haven't, we do it on the spot. We do also have an online booking system, but a lot of our patients are elderly and vulnerable so, if they come into store, we do it there and then. 

What are your thoughts on flu and Covid this autumn? What should we expect? 

I predict there will be higher cases of flu and Covid in the autumn, but this can be combated by patients having their vaccinations. I would encourage pretty much every person to have the flu vaccine, whether it's private or on the NHS, not just to protect themselves but to protect those around them. 

Dai Williams, Central Pharmacy, Pentre

'I predict a yearly booster for Covid in the short-term'

Will you be offering the flu vaccine this year? 

Yes. We have been offering it for the last five years. 

How are preparations going? Has the government’s u-turn on offering the flu vaccine to those aged 50 to 64 affected you? 

Preparations are going well. There wasn't any suggestion in Wales that we weren't going to include those aged 50 to 64 in the flu vaccination programme. Welsh government has been more pragmatic than the chaos that goes on in Westminster. 

Are you hoping to offer the Covid booster this autumn? 

Yes. We have the patient with us for the flu vaccine, so we should be able to give the Covid booster at the same time. It makes sense. 

What are the advantages of having a pharmacy vaccination service? 

For the patients, the advantage is easy access. The more places the flu vaccine is available, the more chance there is of uptake. If someone has to make an appointment with a doctor for it, I think there is less chance they will get it done. The flu vaccination service is also a chance to raise awareness of pharmacy as the first port of call in the NHS, and it's professionally rewarding. It's also obviously an income stream. 

What are your thoughts on flu and Covid this autumn? What should we expect? 

Hopefully there won't be an increase in cases, but I predict a yearly booster for Covid in the short-term. Perhaps for the next couple of years. It just seems to me that there is confusion about how it will be delivered. It makes no sense not to involve pharmacies. We have the patient with us for the flu vaccine, so we should be able to give the Covid booster at the same time. 

Mohamed Moledina, Archer Pharmacy, Stevenage

'We don’t even have a clear plan from the Government'

Will you be offering the flu vaccine this year? 

Yes, we will be offering the flu vaccine this year.  

How are preparations going? Has the government’s u-turn on offering the flu vaccine to those aged 50 to 64 affected you? 

Preparations were going well until the government changed its mind on the 50- to 64-year-olds cohort. It pretty much means we’ve now ordered, cancelled and now have to reorder stock. We don’t even know when we are going to be vaccinating this group. We might end up being stuck with a lot of stock. 

Are you hoping to offer the Covid booster this autumn? 

Yes, we are hoping to be selected. The plan will then be to offer the flu vaccine and the Covid booster at the same time, to those who need both.  

What are the advantages of having a pharmacy vaccination service? 

It makes life easier for people, particularly if they’re elderly, as it’s more convenient. For pharmacists, there’s the financial benefit, but it’s also rewarding to be helping people.  

What are your thoughts on flu and Covid this autumn? What should we expect? 

It’s the same nightmare every year. We don’t even have a clear plan from the government.