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Summary for: Pharmacies in Czechia will offer flu vaccinations from autumnStarting in October, people in Prague, Brno and Ostrava will be able to receive preventive flu vaccinations at selected Benu pharmacies as part of a Ministry of Health–supported pilot project, officials said.
The initiative will run from Oct. 4 to 26, with vaccinations available on weekends between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. at four locations—two in Prague, one in Brno and one in Ostrava. Registration opens Sept. 1 on the Benu website, though walk-ins will be accepted if capacity allows.
The program is limited to self-paying adults aged 18 to 65. “The purpose of the pilot project is primarily to test whether the vaccination process in pharmacies is feasible, or in what form, and what is the public interest in this method of vaccination mediation,” Ministry of Health spokesman Ondřej Jakob said.
“There will always be a general practitioner who will administer the vaccination,” pharmacist Ivana Lánová told news outlet Novinky.cz.
Patients will first complete informed consent with a pharmacist, meet with the doctor for a brief medical history, receive a prescription for the vaccine, purchase it at the pharmacy, and return to the consultation room for administration. Patients must then wait about 15 minutes to monitor for rare side effects.
Capacity is limited to four patients per hour. “We expect that we could vaccinate 700 to 1,000 patients during the pilot project,” Lánová said. Vaccination records will be entered into the ISIN system and reflected in patients’ electronic vaccination records.
Benu CEO Petr Doležal said the aim is “to increase the availability of influenza vaccination, but also to support a broader debate about the future role of pharmacies in healthcare.” According to him, the company wants “to contribute to a higher vaccination rate among the population against influenza and at the same time obtain data on the public interest in vaccination outside of doctors’ offices.”
“If we want to increase the vaccination rate of the Czech population, we must increase the availability of vaccinations and make vaccines available where people naturally move,” said IKEM chief epidemiologist Petr Smejkal. “Pharmacies are an ideal place because they are accessible, trustworthy and professionally equipped.”
the lowdown
- When & where: Flu shots available Oct. 4–26 on weekends, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., at four Benu pharmacies: two in Prague, one in Brno, one in Ostrava.
- Eligibility: Adults aged 18–65 who are self-payers; not for seniors whose vaccination is covered by insurance.
- Booking: Reserve online at the Benu website from Sept. 1, or walk in if capacity allows.
- Process: Fill out consent with a pharmacist, meet the doctor for a medical history, get a prescription, buy the vaccine at the pharmacy, then return for administration; wait 15 minutes afterward.
- Capacity: Four patients per hour; organizers expect 700–1,000 people to be vaccinated during the pilot.
