Overview

• Community Pharmacy England reports that between a third and a half of people arriving with online bookings are not eligible, with some incidents of abuse directed at staff.
• Pharmacy bodies, including the National Pharmacy Association, say the system has allowed ineligible reservations and have urgently raised the issue with NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care.
• NHS England advises people to check eligibility before booking and says vaccinators confirm entitlement during the pre‑vaccination consultation.
• A combined flu and Covid booking option and broader flu eligibility for over‑65s are cited as drivers of public confusion about who can get a Covid booster.
• Those not entitled on the NHS can pay for a private vaccine at pharmacies at about £100, as UKHSA data show hospitalisations have recently risen and new variants are circulating.