Flu vaccinations and the tricky issue of consent – where do pharmacy professionals stand?
Article first published in C+D in October 2021
As the flu season ramps up, pharmacy professionals shouldn’t become blasé to the fact that obtaining written patient consent is no longer a requirement, advises Thorrun Govind
With growing concerns over the co-circulation of COVID-19 and flu this winter, pharmacy teams are seeing more and more patients enquire about the flu vaccine. Especially as the impact of flu is predicted to be 50% greater this season, as fewer people will have built up natural immunity to it during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you get flu and COVID-19 at the same time, you are more likely to be seriously ill and therefore it is even more important for pharmacy teams to engage in discussions about vaccination uptake.