Dates confirmed for 2026/27 flu vaccination programme

The national flu immunisation programme for 2026 to 2027 will begin on 1 October for most adult cohorts, with no changes to eligibility groups, according to a letter issued jointly by the UK Health Security Agency, NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care.

The timing reflects advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), based on evidence of waning vaccine effectiveness in adults, and aims to provide optimal protection during the expected winter peak in December and January.

From 1 September 2026, flu vaccination will be offered to:

● pregnant women;

● children aged two or three on 31 August 2026;

● primary and secondary school pupils from reception to year 11; and

● children aged six months to under 18 in clinical risk groups.

Individuals aged 17 and over attending special educational needs schools who are in a clinical risk group may also be vaccinated alongside their peers from 1 September.

From 1 October 2026, eligibility extends to:

● adults aged 65 and over;

● those aged 18 to under 65 in clinical risk groups;

● residents in long-stay care homes;

● carers in receipt of carer’s allowance or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person;

● close contacts of immunocompromised individuals; and

● eligible frontline social care workers without employer-led occupational health schemes.

All frontline healthcare workers with patient contact should also be offered vaccination from 1 October as part of organisational infection prevention policies.

Primary care providers are asked to prioritise vaccination of two- and three-year-olds as soon as vaccine supply allows, in an effort to reduce transmission and protect those most vulnerable.

The majority of vaccinations should be completed by the end of November, with vaccination continuing until 31 March where necessary.

JCVI has made two changes to adult vaccine recommendations for 2026/27. In those aged 65 and over, cell-cultured vaccine should now be considered equivalent to adjuvanted, high-dose and recombinant vaccines.

In adults aged 50 to 59 in clinical risk groups, high-dose vaccine may now be used off-label.

For children aged two to under 18, live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) remains the first-line option.

Where LAIV is contraindicated or parents object on grounds of its porcine gelatine content, cell-cultured inactivated vaccine is recommended instead.

For children aged six months to under two in clinical risk groups, cell-cultured vaccine is the preferred option, with egg-cultured vaccine as an alternative where cell-cultured is unavailable.

Providers are expected to make a 100% offer to eligible groups, deliver more vaccinations than in the 2025/26 season and focus on reducing unwarranted variation and addressing health inequalities, the letter said.

Further operational detail from NHS England is expected ahead of the start of the programme.

In January, official figures were published showing more than half a million additional people had been vaccinated against flu this winter compared with the corresponding point of the previous year.