„The "Long Night of Vaccination" was rated predominantly positively by pharmacists.
24.11.2025 18:02
The pharmacy campaign "Long Night of Vaccination" took place on October 8th. The majority see advantages and draw a positive conclusion. Non-participation was mainly due to staff shortages and high costs. Economic indicators are showing mixed results.
Pharmacies make important contributions to the healthcare system beyond simply supplying medications. This was demonstrated on October 8, 2025, at the third "Long Night of Vaccination," an initiative of the Federal Association of Community Pharmacists (BVVA). With this campaign, the association aims to mark the start of the vaccination season for influenza and COVID-19 and to motivate people to get vaccinated. A total of 360 pharmacies across Germany participated in the initiative this year – almost three times as many as the previous year. The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and numerous state health ministries also called for participation in the "Long Night of Vaccination." In the current edition of the Pharmacy Business Climate Index (APOkix), pharmacy owners report on their experiences with the vaccination campaign. The result: Almost all participating pharmacies draw a positive conclusion and would participate again in 2026.
Vaccination campaigns build trust and strengthen the image of pharmacies
More than two-thirds (69%) of those surveyed consider initiatives like the "Long Night of Vaccination" an important tool for increasing vaccination rates in Germany. Furthermore, almost three-quarters of respondents believe that the media attention surrounding the event has a positive impact on the image of pharmacies (73%) and on the trust placed in pharmacies (72%). However, two-thirds (67%) of pharmacy owners believe that participation was still too low. Nearly half (47%) also suggest that pharmacies should refrain from participating in initiatives like the "Long Night of Vaccination" until pharmacy fees guarantee a sufficient income for pharmacies.
Reasons for non-participation
More than half of the respondents who did not participate in the campaign this year cited staff shortages as a barrier to participation (59). For almost half of the pharmacies, the organizational (45) or bureaucratic effort (42) was too high. 41 percent refrained from participating for economic reasons. 39 percent stated that they generally do not administer vaccinations in their pharmacies or do not have the necessary qualifications. Low expected demand (20) or potential conflicts with physicians (19) played only a minor role.
Economic indices are developing differently
According to the economic sentiment index, the current business situation was rated more favorably in November than in October: The index rose from 64.5 points to 74.1 points. Compared to the previous month, the economic sentiment index for business expectations over the next twelve months fell by 6.5 points to 51.7 points in November.