Flu and Covid Season 2025–2026: Patient Information

📅 Programme Start Dates

• Children & Pregnant Women: From 1 September 2025
• Adults (65+ and clinical risk groups): From October 2025
• School-aged Children: Vaccinations in schools to be completed by 12 December 2025

👥 Invitations – will start being sent out to eligible patients in September

👥 Who Is Eligible?
From 1 September 2025:

• Pregnant women
• Children aged 2 or 3 years (on 31 August 2025)
• Primary school children (Reception to Year 6)
• Secondary school children (Year 7 to Year 11)
• Children aged 6 months to under 18 years in clinical risk groups

From October 2025:

Frontline healthcare workers (clinical & non-clinical)

Adults aged 65 and over

Adults aged 18–64 in clinical risk groups

Residents in long-stay care homes

Carers (receiving allowance or main carers)

Close contacts of immunocompromised individuals

Frontline social care workers (without employer-led OH schemes)

📅 Programme Dates

• Start Date: 1 October 2025
• End Date: 31 January 2026
• Most vaccinations should be completed by 19 December 2025 to ensure protection ahead of winter

👥 Who Is Eligible?
From 1 October 2025:

• Adults aged 75 years and over
• Residents in care homes for older adults
• Individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, including:
  • Organ, bone marrow, or stem cell transplant recipients
  • Those undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy
  • People living with HIV
  • Patients on long-term immunosuppressive treatments
  • Children receiving immunomodulating therapy

Note: Frontline health and social care workers are not eligible under the national programme unless they meet the above criteria