Welsh community pharmacies have delivered flu jabs to 152,593 people so far, according to CPW.

It follows last year’s rising flu vaccination uptake trend in Wales. The 2021/22 flu season saw Welsh community pharmacies deliver record levels of NHS flu vaccinations, with over 168,000 being administered towards the end of 2021.

More than 1.5 million people are eligible for the free flu vaccine in Wales this season, after the Welsh government confirmed that the programme would be expanded to include the over-50s and secondary school children in years seven to 11 for the second year running.

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A pharmacist in Swansea who wished to remain anonymous told C+D: “The majority of people taking the flu vaccine this year have been under 65.

Last year, most people were over 65, but people across all age ranges are more willing to take the flu jab now.”

However, flu is still circulating in Wales at an increasing rate. During the week ending December 4, the GP consultation rate for influenza in Wales was 7.8 per 100,000, up 4.2 per 100,000 the previous week.

In that same period, 362 cases of flu were reported.

Last month, C+D reported that there had been a ‘fantastic’ uptake of community pharmacy flu jabs in England, based on data gathered by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.

Data from last week (December 16 reveals) that over 4,700,000 doses of the flu vaccine have been administered in the UK.

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