Calls for distribution change to cut flu jab shortage

Pharmacists and patients in Wiltshire have described the struggle of trying to get flu vaccines amid a huge rise in cases.

The BBC has heard how even people advised to have the jab by their GP have been forced to call multiple pharmacies to get one.

Having been overwhelmed with a growing demand, pharmacists have now called on the government to distribute the vaccine centrally to meet demand.

A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said they were "not aware of any vaccine shortages" and that stock was still available.

One pharmacist based in Malmesbury told the BBC there was "literally nothing" left when it came to flu vaccines.

Gurinder Singh said people had faced a "real struggle" when trying to access the vaccine this year.

While in previous years he had been left trying to persuade people to get vaccinated, his vaccine slots were fully booked as early as October.

By this time of year "there's literally nothing in terms of stock" he said.

Mr Singh said he had heard of people having to phone up to 10 pharmacies in order to find a vaccine.

He is now calling on the Department of Health to deliver vaccines centrally, "rather than individual pharmacies being responsible for trying to get hold of this stock".

"GP surgeries get centrally-sourced stock, so we believe pharmacies should be in the same boat in order to make sure a repeat doesn't happen." he said.

"Over the last few years, every December, every January - we're in the same position."

A spokesperson for DHSC has urged anyone eligible to be vaccinated to arrange to do so, describing it as "vitally important".

"People can still come to walk-in vaccination centres or receive a vaccine at some local pharmacies around the country without needing to book in advance," they added.

Elsewhere in Malmesbury, Andrew Hobson, superintendent pharmacist of Gompels Pharmacy explained he needs to judge in February how much flu vaccine he will need for the following winter.

The pharmacy was administering 80 to 90 flu jabs a day to throughout October and November, but has been unable to get any more stock since the beginning of December.

Mr Hobson is now having to turn people away "on a daily basis".

But he said last year he was overstocked and had to throw away 300 doses of the vaccine - at significant cost to the business.

"It is very frustrating, we would like to be vaccinating as many people as possible - it is just a distribution issue as far as I'm concerned," he said.

Mr Hobson agreed that central distribution of the vaccine by the government, where pharmacies receive a fee for administering the jabs but do not pay for the stock, would be a fairer system.

This is the approach currently used for Covid-19 vaccines.

Former BBC radio presenter Laura Rawlings, who lives in north Wiltshire, was advised by her GP to get the vaccine after cancer treatment left her immunocompromised.

"It's been tricky - I booked online before Christmas, went along to the pharmacy to go and have it and they'd run out," she said.

She eventually tracked down a pharmacy by calling NHS national vaccination book service on 119.

She said she was "really grateful" to the NHS, but added: "Bearing in mind I've had quite a few Covid and flu vaccines, because I've been in treatment for several years, I feel that this time it's much harder to actually get a vaccine than it should be.

"When you're hearing headlines in the news that say'hospitals are in crisis because of the number of people with flu, that makes me a little bit anxious."

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