Joint fight

Successful vaccination project in pharmacies

Vaccination consultations are part of everyday life in Austrian pharmacies. Vaccination is not yet possible.

(Bild: Martin Hörmandinger)

Vaccination coverage rates in Austria are particularly low compared to the EU average. Vaccinations are already being given in pharmacies in 17 European countries. With success!

The more than 7,000 pharmacists throughout Austria still have to "please wait". This is because the legislator has still not given the go-ahead for them to support the medical profession in vaccinating the population. Experts expect that this "go" would significantly increase vaccination coverage rates, which are sometimes very poor in this country. Dozens of countries around the world, where vaccination in pharmacies is part of everyday life, prove the resounding success of this measure.

An (envious) look at South Tyrol shows impressively how the population's willingness to be vaccinated increases when an additional, low-threshold offer is available in the pharmacies around the corner.

Corona as a trigger
 Vaccination has been possible in South Tyrol's pharmacies since November 2021. The decisive moment was Corona. The images from northern Italy, which was a tragic "hotspot" for infections in the first phase of the pandemic, are unforgettable. Due to the dramatic situation, the Italian government relied on the flexibility and nationwide distribution of pharmacies and made vaccination possible. This has now become an integral part of pharmacy services. Of around 130 pharmacies in South Tyrol, 42 locations - around a third - offered and carried out COVID-19 and flu vaccinations for adults last winter. Within three months, 220 jabs were administered in a single pharmacy in Lana, for example.

Joint fight against vaccination fatigue
The pandemic has further increased vaccination fatigue and vaccination skepticism among the Austrian population, meaning that the vaccination gaps have widened even further. The public pharmacies see themselves as fellow fighters alongside the medical profession for better vaccination coverage rates. More than 2,000 pharmacists have already completed the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists' vaccination training at the highest international level and are available in 1,000 pharmacies nationwide. The Austrian Health Insurance Fund, the Seniors' Council and the Patient Advocate's Office are also insisting on a rapid, legal basis for vaccination. Health Minister Johannes Rauch is also extremely positive about the demand.

While Austria is still lagging behind with this offer, the next step is already being prepared in Italy. From 2026, all compulsory vaccinations will be able to be refreshed in pharmacies.