Eligible patients

Those with certain long-term conditions should have a flu jab annually. Some health conditions make people more vulnerable to becoming seriously ill if they develop flu. This is why the Department of Health advises the following groups to have a flu jab in the 2025/2026 season:

From 1 September 2025:

• pregnant women
• all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2025
• primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
• secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
• all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years

From October 2025, exact start date to be confirmed by NHS England in due course:

• those aged 65 years and over
• those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (defined by NHS UK website : https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/flu-vaccine/ )
• those in long-stay residential 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
• frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants

To find out more information, please visit the NHS site.

If you are unsure whether you should have a flu jab, contact your GP surgery or ask your local pharmacy team for advice.