Czech Ministry of Health proposes pharmacy vaccinations to boost flu and COVID‑19 uptake

The Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic has submitted a legislative amendment that would permit pharmacists to administer flu and COVID‑19 vaccines in pharmacies. The proposal, now in inter‑ministerial review, aims to improve the country’s low adult vaccination rates by offering a more accessible option.

Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch highlighted that pharmacy vaccination is already common in several EU states, including France, Poland, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Germany and Slovakia, and stressed that participating pharmacists would undergo specific training. The draft limits the measure to adult patients and cites safety data from the State Institute for Drug Control, whose director Tomáš Boráň noted that serious adverse reactions to flu shots are extremely rare. Critics such as Milan Kubek, president of the Czech Medical Chamber, have expressed concerns about the potential for rare adverse events and the ability of pharmacists to provide immediate emergency care.