NHSE&I have published their flu vaccination reimbursement letter for the 2022/23 season
Written by AlisonFreemantle on Thursday 3rd March 2022
Reimbursed vaccines and eligible cohorts – those aged 50 to 64 years and primary care staff are NOT included
The letter provides information on the flu vaccines which will be reimbursable under the 2022/23 Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Advanced Service, for the two cohorts (65 years and over and at-risk adults aged 18-64).
While the reimbursable vaccines for the coming season remain unchanged, there are changes to the eligible population recommendations.
In 2022/23, the NHS flu vaccination programme will only be offered to patient groups eligible in line with pre-pandemic recommendations. The cohorts relevant to the community pharmacy service that were eligible in the 2021/22 season but that are not included in the cohorts for 2022/23 are those aged 50 to 64 years and primary care staff.
Flu vaccine ordering and planning
The letter advises:
- Due to manufacturing processes and commissioning arrangements, some vaccines may only be available in limited quantities. Therefore, it is recommended that orders are placed with more than one manufacturer to ensure providers receive sufficient stock.
- It is not anticipated that any stock will be centrally procured by the Department of Health and Social Care for the 2022/23 season.
It is important that all pharmacies that provide the Flu Vaccination Service read the letter and use the information contained within to inform their ordering of flu vaccine for the season ahead.
The spreadsheet below shows the number of flu vaccines given to the 50-64 yrs cohort this year by pharmacy ODS code: