Starting September 1, children aged 2 to 16 and pregnant women in England will begin receiving flu vaccinations through schools, GP practices, and community clinics, with the program expanding to include children from six months to 18 years in clinical risk groups.

Adults aged 75 and over, care home residents, and immunosuppressed individuals are also eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, which can be administered alongside flu shots.

The flu vaccine has a strong safety record, with mild side effects like sore arms, slight fever, or nasal spray symptoms such as runny nose and headache, which are typically short-lived.

Protection from the flu vaccine takes about two weeks to develop, so early vaccination is recommended; it is safe, does not cause the flu, and should be renewed annually due to changing strains and waning immunity.

Last winter, the flu vaccine prevented an estimated 100,000 hospitalizations, and vaccination remains free for those at greatest risk, with services available through various providers for easy access.

People with underlying health conditions affecting the immune system, lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, brain, or metabolism are more vulnerable to severe flu complications, hospitalization, and death.

The flu vaccine is updated annually to target circulating strains, with most injections given at GP surgeries or pharmacies, and nasal sprays available for children; vaccination is recommended every year.

Health officials emphasize the importance of early vaccination to prevent hospitalizations, with over 300,000 hospital bed days occupied by flu patients last winter, nearly double the previous year, and urge eligible individuals to book promptly.

Vaccinations are free for those at greatest risk, and efforts are underway to make access convenient through community settings.

Adults eligible for both flu and COVID-19 vaccines can receive them simultaneously, with COVID-19 vaccinations available until January 30, 2026, and flu jabs until the end of March 2026.

Eligible health conditions include chronic respiratory diseases, heart, kidney, and liver diseases, neurological conditions, diabetes, weakened immune systems, spleen problems, severe obesity, and learning disabilities like Down’s Syndrome.

Health Minister Stephen Kinnock urges families to vaccinate early to reduce severe illness and ease pressure on the NHS during the peak flu season, which typically peaks in December or January, but late vaccination still offers benefits.