Why pharmacies hold key to vaccine success in 10 minute test – The Yorkshire Post says

It also needs to be thorough – this is the biggest immunisation programme ever undertaken and there is now no room for error as Britain reaches the “most dangerous moment” in the pandemic to date.

And it is the prevailing need to minimise travel, as stated by Boris Johnson, Professor Chris Whitty and countless others yesterday, which justifies The Yorkshire Post’s call for local pharmacies to be fully involved. Not only do they have the clinical expertise, but they’re located far closer to the people than the seven new regional centres up and running (though not in Yorkshire).

Ninety per cent of people in England live within 20 minutes walking distance of a pharmacy – and this figure is as great as 99 per cent in the more deprived areas.

Yet, while the Government’s intention, according to the new document, is that “everyone will live within 10 miles of a vaccination centre” by the end of January, our contention that the target should be just 10 minutes.

After all, there are 11,000 pharmacies on standby – and their work can be supported by the mobile units that the new strategy is proposing for “highly rural areas”.

That said, this newspaper, and its sister titles in JPI Media, welcomes the positive response from 10 Downing Street and Health Secretary, to our joint call for a greater role for community pharmacies.

They’re clearly listening respectfully to the suggestion – and we look forward to further progress being made so people only have to travel the shortest distance possible in this public health emergency. That remains the objective – and ask of Ministers – so having a Covid vaccine becomes as simple and routine as the winter flu jab.

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