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With the chilly weather firmly settled in, it's that time of year again - cold and flu season. While there's no foolproof track to avoid getting ill, you can opt for many kinds of immunity-boosting shifts to sustain your immune system and support yourself in feeling your best! Without further bothering, here are our top 5 pieces of advice for amplifying your immunity:

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in recent response to the questions asked by members of the House of Lords addressed the concerning trend of pharmacy closures in rural areas across the UK. Led by The Bishop of St Albans, inquiries focused on the number of community pharmacies that had ceased operations over the past five years and the ongoing financial challenges faced by those remaining in rural regions. Lord Markham, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care, provided insights into the stark reality confronting rural communities. Highlighting data as per Guide to applying the Rural Urban Classification to data (2019-2023) Markham illustrated the significant closure rates of rural pharmacies compared to the limited number of new openings between 2019 and 2023. The figures revealed a fluctuating trend over the past five years, indicating a dynamic landscape within rural pharmacy provision.

A new report, published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), has revealed worrying statistics about the mental health of children and young people in England. The report is based on NHS survey on Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2023, which showed that one in five children and young individuals aged eight to 25 were grappling with probable mental disorders. The report highlighted that 20.3 per cent of eight to 16-year-olds showed signs of mental distress in 2023. Among 17 to 19-year-olds, the proportion rose to 23.3 per cent, while in 20 to 25-year-olds, it stood at 21.7 per cent. The rates of probable mental disorders were similar for boys and girls, while for 17- to 25-year-olds, rates were twice as high for young women than young men.

For the first time, Covid-19 vaccines will be available for purchase from pharmacies in Britain from April 1. As revealed by The Times, Boots is set to launch a private vaccination service next week to ensure that people "remain ready to respond to this constantly evolving and unpredictable virus." Under the NHS national immunization programme (NIP), Covid booster vaccines are only offered to those at high risk, including over-65s or patients with weakened immune systems. From April 1, anyone aged 12 or over can get the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at 50 Boots stores for £98.95. While it's highly unlikely for healthier young adults to experience severe Covid-19, getting the single-dose vaccine can protect them from discomforting symptoms like coughs and sore throats. A spokesperson for Boots told the publication that their private service is the extension of their existing delivery of Covid-19 vaccinations for the NHS.

Well Pharmacy's parent company, Bestway Group, announced on Wednesday (20 March) that it recorded a five per cent growth in revenues to £4.74 billion for the year ending June 2023, alongside a pre-tax profit of £420.9 million. During the year, the company also completed acquisition of Lexon UK Holdings, a leading pharmaceutical wholesaler serving over 3,000 retail pharmacy customers across the UK and Eire. Furthermore, the Group completed the construction of two cement plants in Pakistan, bringing its total cement manufacturing capacity to 15.3 million tonnes per annum. Sir Anwar Pervez OBE, founder and chairman of Bestway Group, expressed optimism about the new business year and said: "The Group has continued on its growth trajectory in 2023 and we are confident that our businesses will continue to gain share within their respective markets during 2024."