Pharmacy Daily | Pharmacies smash 2018 flu

HEALTH Minister Greg Hunt has hailed the contribution of community pharmacies across Australia to reducing the incidence of flu last winter, with this year's successful primary care vaccination program helping deliver the lowest rates of influenza in the country since 2013.

Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed a record 11 million Australians received the influenza vaccine this year, nearly a third more than the previous year.

To date, only 52,000 cases of influenza have been reported, one fifth of last year's 250,000 cases.

There was also unprecedented demand for influenza vaccine early in the 2018 season, which saw the Government secure an additional 1.3 million doses of the vaccine for the National Immunisation Program, state programs and the private market.

"Collaboration between GPs and other vaccination providers across Australia, including community pharmacies, encouraged the uptake of flu vaccinations this year," the minister said on Sat.

National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, George Tambassis, said community pharmacies were proud of the contribution they had made to this public health success story.

"And we can do more -- National Immunisation Program vaccines for influenza high-risk patient groups are currently available through community pharmacies in only two States -- Victoria and Western Australia," Tambassis noted.

"These vital vaccines should be available through community pharmacies in all States and Territories to provide equal access for all Australians through their local pharmacy and pharmacist vaccinator," he urged.

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia NSW Branch President Professor Peter Carroll commented, "The administration of vaccines by community pharmacists complements the excellent work done by GPs. It helps to increase the vaccination rate, and herd immunity within the community.

"As frontline health care professionals community pharmacists are able to offer vaccination services to those people who do not have a GP, or visit a GP only rarely, Carrol said.

"Allowing community pharmacists to vaccinate people against influenza has clearly resulted in a significant increase in the number of people vaccinated, and contributed to the dramatic and very welcome drop in the death rate caused by influenza".