The Government has said the UK will see the biggest seasonal flu vaccination drive in history this winter as it tries to mitigate the fear of a collision between coronavirus and the winter flu season. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said pharmacies, such as Boots, would be key to helping vaccinate as many at risk people a possible, such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
How much is the flu jab in Boots this year?
The flu jab service is available at most Boots stores, but people will have to book an appointment for one rather than just turning up.
However, appointments for children aged between 12 and 15 can only be booked in store.
If you are outside of that age range and would like to book an appointment, you can do so online by following this link.
The Boots service offers a queuing system, meaning you will have to wait in a virtual line before gaining access to the booking page.
In 2020, the price of the flu jab in Boots costs £13.99, up from £12.99 last year.
Speaking at the National Pharmacy Association annual conference, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Government was already planning for the winter flu season.
Mr Hancock said: “We’re going to frankly need to use all of the capabilities at our disposal to deliver the vaccine programmes that we need to in the months ahead.”
There are mounting concerns that a severe winter flu or second wave of coronavirus could overwhelm the NHS for a second time, leading to increased deaths and cancelled operations.
Mr Hancock said pharmacies would be key to helping vaccinate as many at risk people such as the elderly and those with underlying conditions.
He said: “We all know that having had an incredibly difficult six months, the next big moment is as winter approaches.
“We’re currently planning in detail for the winter. And we’re expecting high demand and pharmacies will play a critical role.
“There’s a huge amount of work to do. We still don’t know the long-term health impacts of coronavirus.
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“We still have just one treatment that is clinically proven to be effective in reducing its impact.
“We’re working hard on a combination of the Covid vaccination programme, should a vaccine work, and of course, the science on that is unproven.
“I want to see pharmacies involved in that flu vaccine rollout.”
He said plans announced last year as part of a new contract with community pharmacies had been paused due to coronavirus crisis, but that this was only temporary.
The Health Secretary told the audience: “|’m certain that you are an untapped resource.”
Mr Hancock added that with better technology, pharmacies could integrate more into the existing NHS to take the pressure off GPS.
He added: “I’m keen to see people with minor illnesses referred to a community pharmacy. To take pressure off GPs, and crucially, deliver a better service.
“Twenty million GP appointments can be refereed to community pharmacists every year. And there’s much much more that you can do.”
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