New vaccination service strengthens Oriola’s vaccine offering in Sweden
17.11.2020
Oriola’s Kronans Apotek pharmacy chain has launched a new vaccination service with MediCheck, a Swedish medical centre. Through the service, we offer also influenza vaccines to risk groups, which is even more important this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Oriola is distributing influenza vaccines all over Sweden, the new vaccination service continues our efforts to support the health of people and society in these exceptional times.
In Sweden, vaccinations are typically offered in vaccine clinics and healthcare centres. Kronans Apotek’s new vaccination service further strengthens pharmacies’ role in offering primary healthcare services. Currently, vaccinations are offered in 8 pharmacies around Sweden. MediCheck provides nurses to pharmacies to give vaccinations, and the target is to expand offering up to 80 pharmacies once workforce is available.
The service covers, for example, vaccines for TBE, herpes zoster and boosters for basic vaccines. Additionally, seasonal influenza vaccines are offered to people in the risk groups of COVID-19. This year, the pandemic is highlighting the importance of influenza vaccines as there are same risks groups and authorities want to prevent two epidemics from spreading at the same time to relieve the pressure from healthcare.
“We started to offer COVID-19 antibody tests among the first pharmacies in Sweden and expanding our services to vaccines is a natural next step to support public health and preventive healthcare. This is extremely important also in hopefully near future when we finally will have COVID-19 vaccines,” says Anders Torell, Vice President of Business Area Consumer at Oriola.
Oriola distributes majority of vaccines in Sweden – including 1.8 million doses of influenza vaccines
Pharmacies’ vaccination service strengthens Oriola’s ability to promote availability of vaccines in Sweden. We have a vast experience from vaccines, as Oriola distributes majority of all vaccines in Sweden to vaccine clinics, healthcare, childcare and schools. This year, we distribute also all influenza vaccines intended for adults in Sweden.
Handling vaccines requires special expertise, as they typically require cold temperature conditions during storage and transport. This is especially true with influenza vaccines, as the volumes and short time frame makes them a special case: more than 1.8 million doses arrive during a 5 to 6-week period starting from the end of September, and 90% are distributed by the end of November.
