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More than five million vaccines given by London pharmacies

A year on from the first Covid-19 vaccination at a high street pharmacy, there are now more than 230 pharmacies giving life-saving jabs across London – and they have delivered more than five million vaccinations in the rollout of the biggest vaccination programme ever.

People across the country are being urged to ‘grab a jab’ this week with a record number of walk-in sites available. There are 1,800 sites now on the grab a jab website and the 5.4 million people who are four or more weeks late for their booster are being encouraged to get this vital top-up dose as soon as possible.

Millions of people across the capital have been able to walk in to their local pharmacy to get vaccinated or book an appointment, and in what has proved one of the most successful aspects of the vaccination programme around a third of all jabs have been given at people’s local pharmacy.

London’s head of pharmacy commissioning Jeremy Wallman said:

“Local pharmacies are convenient, known and trusted by their local communities. From the very beginning of the vaccination programme, people have been able to get their vaccine locally thanks to the hard work of our pharmacy teams. As the vaccination programme continues to gather pace, pharmacies continue to play a vital role. We have seen that people really appreciate having fully-trained healthcare professionals on their doorstep who are able to offer advice, guidance and reassurance.”

Hassan Khan from Cullimore Chemist in Barnet, the first pharmacy in London to give the Covid-19 vaccine, said:

“It has been a privilege to be able to give the vaccine to so many people. Pharmacies are at the heart of their local communities and are often the first port of call for medical advice. The strength of this relationship with local people has been invaluable in the national response to the pandemic.”