Free flu jab this month for the onset of winter flu season at your local pharmacy

All community pharmacies in Dubbo region that are a member of the NSW Pharmacy Guild of Australia are providing free flu vaccination services, including those that are not currently participants to the guild's vaccination program, said NSW Pharmacy Guild of Australia president David Heffernan.

In Dubbo, free flu vaccinations can be obtained at Orana Mall Pharmacy, Tim Koerstz Pharmacy, Delroy TerryWhite Chemmart, Priceline Pharmacy and Blooms the Chemist.

At the end of April there were less than 50 notifications for the flu according to Western NSW Local Health District figures. Last week that number had swelled to 273.

The guild said has welcomed the NSW Health's free vaccination program delivered through their member pharmacies running until June 30 as this winter is emerging as a severe flu season, Mr Heffernan said.

"Harnessing the vaccinating capacity of community pharmacists is crucial to tackling all avoidable hospitalisations. This is an important community health outcome for the people of NSW," Mr Heffernan said.

Guild members served every local community during the COVID pandemic, thus NSW Health has again chosen them among the providers to facilitate this winter's mass-vaccination program.

Mr Heffernan said guild members being available through community pharmacies makes access to the vaccinations easy for NSW residents wherever they are located.

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Patients visit a community pharmacy 18 times a year, according to the guild. In capital cities, 97 per cent of people have access to at least one pharmacy within 2.5 kilometre radius, while in regional areas such as Dubbo, 66 per cent of people are within 2.5 km of a pharmacy.

This means the free flu vaccination initiative can be easily accessed across the state through a local community pharmacy.

Guild member, TerryWhite Chemmart Delroy, Kaail Bohm said they have started administering free vaccines to local families since June 1 for children aged over five years old and for adults aged over 65.

"But only for the month of June because as we get to winter the NSW Health wants as many people vaccinated before we get to the heavy part of the flu season, and we want people to get vaccinated really quickly," Mr Bohm said.

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