Asda slashes flu jab cost by half following 'rapid rise' in cases
Asda Pharmacy has reduced the cost of its flu jab by half to £4.98, as concerns mount over “rapidly” rising cases.
Those that book a private flu jab at an Asda Pharmacy will now pay £4.98 – down from £9.98 - making it the “cheapest on the market” to date, the multiple announced today (December 16).
Asda said the decision comes "at a crucial time in the winter season when cases are high" and with "customers looking to save money where they can".
The supermarket hopes this will encourage customers who haven’t yet come forward for a flu jab to do so, “ensuring the nation is as protected as possible this flu season”, it added.
It comes as flu test positivity rates in the UK have jumped to 20.2%, up from 14.3% last week, according to data released by the UK Health Security Agency yesterday (December 15).
It also follows the decision by Well Pharmacy last week to reduce the cost of its flu jab by a third, after mounting concerns over the cost-of-living crisis and rising flu cases.
“Proud to make this service as accessible as possible”
Asda had already put measures in place to help drive uptake of private flu jabs last month by adding £2 to patients' "cash pot" on its rewards app when they book a flu vaccine online.
The supermarket also offers free flu jabs to qualifying patients in its 254 in-store pharmacies.
Asda’s superintendent pharmacist Faisal Tuddy said the company was “proud to be able to make this service as accessible as possible to anyone that wants it”, particularly “at a time when we’re seeing cases of flu rise rapidly”.
He added: “It’s so important to get your flu jab, especially if you are vulnerable or visiting family members this Christmas.”
Read more: Deliver all adult vaccinations through community pharmacy, think tank urges
Meanwhile, Dr Kathryn Basford of Asda Online Doctor said: “If you don’t fall into a vulnerable group that is offered a free flu vaccine through the NHS, it’s still really important to get the vaccine to help protect those around you who you could pass on the infection to.”
Last year saw a record-breaking year for the national community pharmacy flu vaccine rollout, with teams in England smashing their previous flu jab administration record within just two months of launching the 2021/22 service.
A total of 4.79 million flu vaccinations were administered by pharmacy teams in England in the 2021/22 season.
As of today, 4.7 million flu vaccinations have been delivered by pharmacy teams through the 2022/23 service so far, according to data collated by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.
