Ms Kathy Maher:

I thank the Deputy for her kind words about the flu vaccine. I think I am old enough to have been around in 2011 or 2012 when we were trying to get the flu vaccine provision across the line for community pharmacies. It has been a really good example of how, when community pharmacies get involved in a scheme or project that we deliver to the nth degree for the benefit of our patients. We can see that when community pharmacies are delivering flu vaccines, not only do we increase our own supply but due to the publicity and the health promotion that we carry with that the general vaccine rate also increases in pharmacy and in general practice as well.

We are legislated to administer pneumococcal and shingles vaccines. We see huge scope there. We would like the Department of Health to remunerate pharmacists for that because we know there are cohorts of patients who need the shingles vaccine and the pneumococcal vaccine as a part of their healthcare and to avoid the complication that comes along with getting shingles, particularly in older age. We would like to see that as a reimbursed vaccine for pharmacists.