NHS England (NHSE) is launching a “national RSV campaign” next month to “support uptake of the vaccine”, it has revealed, part of which will direct patients to community pharmacies in areas where they are “commissioned to deliver” the vaccination.
“Invitations will be sent to unvaccinated individuals that are eligible for the older adults RSV vaccination programmed,” it explained in its primary care bulletin yesterday (January 22).
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The invitation will “advise people to contact” their general practice or a community pharmacy provider “in areas where [they] are commissioned to deliver RSV vaccinations”, it said.
And the body added that the invitation “will also include a link to the National Booking Service and RSV walk-in service finder”.
NHSE also called on community pharmacies to “ensure they have sufficient capacity to meet the expected increase in demand for RSV vaccination appointments”.
Expansion
It comes after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed to C+D in November that it will consider expanding eligibility for the NHS RSV vaccine following a decision to broaden approvals for Pfizer’s jab.
An “extension to the licence” of its RSV vaccine was approved earlier in November to allow adults at risk of severe RSV to access the jab.
And UKHSA at the time said that while this doesn’t change eligibility for the vaccine on the NHS, its joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI) regularly reviews the NHS vaccination programmes and will consider this matter in a future meeting.
Read more: NHSE seeks pharmacies for RSV and whooping cough jab service
Meanwhile, the government announced last April that NHSE would increase the number of community pharmacies offering the RSV vaccine in 2025/26.
The commissioner will “expand and support evaluation of the community pharmacy vaccination offer by up to 200 sites in identified target areas”, it said at the time.
