Annual flu programme
Seasonal influenza (flu) is an unpredictable but recurring pressure that the NHS faces every winter. Vaccination offers the best protection.
Each year the NHS prepares for the unpredictability of flu. For most healthy people, flu is an unpleasant but usually self-limiting disease with recovery generally within a week.
However, there is a particular risk of severe illness from catching flu for:
- older people
- the very young
- pregnant women
- those with underlying disease, such as chronic respiratory or cardiac disease
- those who are immunosuppressed
Flu immunisation e-learning programme
An interactive flu immunisation e-learning programme, written by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and produced by Health Education England’s e-Learning for Healthcare, is available for anyone involved in delivering the flu immunisation programme.
Video for health professionals
NHS Education for Scotland has made a video for health professionals on how to administer the vaccine.
Further information on vaccine ingredients and rare side effects is available.
2024 to 2025 flu season
The national flu immunisation programme for 2024 to 2025 slideset is available to download.
Advice on vaccination of healthcare workers against flu through a written instruction is available from the Specialist Pharmacy Service. Please try an alternative browser if you have difficulty opening this link.
2023 to 2024 flu season
The national flu immunisation programme for 2023 to 2024 slideset is available to download.
2021 to 2022 flu season
2020 to 2021 flu season
2018 to 2019 flu season
2017 to 2018 flu season
2016 to 2017 flu season
2015 to 2016 flu season
2014 to 2015 flu season
Updates to this page
Published 17 October 2013Last updated 9 September 2024 + show all updates
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Added 'Flu vaccination: easy-read flu vaccination resources' to 2024 to 2025 flu season.
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Added 'Flu immunisation for early years settings including child minders' for 2024 to 2025.
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Added Flu vaccination: who should have it this winter and why for 2024 to 2025 flu season and added link to vaccination of healthcare workers against flu through a written instruction for 2024 to 2025.
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Updated for the 2024/2025 flu season including link to new training slideset
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Added When should I get my flu vaccination flyer to 2024 to 2025.
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Updated for 2024/2025 flu season
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Updated for 2024 to 2025 flu season.
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Added 'Influenza vaccines marketed in the UK' for 2024 to 2025.
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Added 'National flu immunisation programme plan 2024 to 2025'
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Added 'Flu immunisation for early years settings including child minders' for 2023 to 2024.
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Added 'Flu vaccine for children: best practice guide for GPs' for 2023 to 2024.
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Added social care guides to the 2023 to 2024 collection.
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Added 'Flu vaccination: simple text information for adults and children' for 2023 to 2024.
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Added 'Flu vaccination: easy-read flu vaccination resources' for 2023 to 2024.
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Added Flu vaccination programme 2023 to 2024: healthcare practitioners.
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Added link to the national flu immunisation programme for 2023 to 2024 slideset.
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Added 'Flu vaccines for children and young people for 2023 to 2024'.
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Added 'Flu immunisation training recommendations' for 2023 to 2024.
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Added 'Inactivated influenza vaccine: national protocol' for 2023 to 2024.
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Added 'Flu vaccination: letter template for at risk patients and carers' and 'Flu vaccination: letter template for children aged 2 and 3 years' for 2023 to 2024
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Added 'Flu vaccination for children: leaflets and posters' for 2023 to 2024.
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Added 'Flu vaccination in schools' for 2023 to 2024.
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Added 'National flu immunisation programme plan 2023 to 2024' and 'Flu vaccines: 2023 to 2024 flu season'.
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Added link to updated advice on vaccination of healthcare workers against flu through a written instruction.
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Added link to vaccine ingredients and rare side effects.
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Added 'Influenza vaccines marketed in the UK'.
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Added 'Flu immunisation for social care staff' for the 2022 to 2023 season.
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Added 'Flu vaccination: who should have it this winter and why' for 2022 to 2023 season.
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Added 'Flu vaccines: 2022 to 2023 flu season' and 'Flu vaccines for children and young people for 2022 to 2023'.
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Added 'Flu vaccination: easy-read flu vaccination resources' and 'Flu vaccination: simple text information for adults and children' to the 2022 to 2023 season.
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Added National protocol for inactivated influenza vaccine for 2022 to 2023.
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Added flu immunisation training recommendations for 2022 to 2023.
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Added 'Flu vaccination programme 2022 to 2023: information for healthcare practitioners' and links to the flu programme for 2021 to 2022 training slideset and guidance for the administration of seasonal influenza vaccination for healthcare staff.
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Added 'Flu immunisation for early years settings including child minders' for 2022 to 2023.
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Added 'Flu vaccination in schools' and 'Flu vaccination for children: leaflets and posters' to the 2022 to 2023 flu season section.
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Added letter templates for children aged 2 and 3 years and for at risk patients and carers for 2022 to 2023.
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Added the national flu immunisation programme letter for 2022 to 2023.
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Added Influenza vaccines marketed in the UK for 2022 to 2023.
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Added 'Flu vaccine supply: when can you get your vaccination'.
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Added Flu immunisation for social care staff for the 2021 to 2022 flu season.
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Added National protocol for inactivated influenza vaccine.
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Added links to the national flu immunisation programme for 2021 to 2022 and to the guidance for the administration of seasonal influenza vaccination for healthcare staff.
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Added Flu vaccination programme: information for healthcare practitioners.
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Added 'Flu vaccines for children and young people' and 'Flu vaccines: 2021 to 2022 flu season'.
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Added resources for the 2021 to 2022 flu programme.
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Updated 'Flu immunisation training recommendations' for 2021 to 2022.
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Added Flu vaccination for children: leaflets and posters (2021 to 2022 update).
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Added the national flu immunisation programme letter and school guidance for 2021 to 2022.
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Added ovalbumin content for the 2021 to 2022 flu season.
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Added 'Flu vaccination: information about the extended programme'.
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Added the Flu vaccination: why you are being asked to wait.
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Updated leaflets – Flu vaccines: 2020 to 2021 flu season and Flu vaccines for children.
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Updated guidance for the administration of seasonal influenza vaccination for healthcare staff and slidesets for the the national and childhood flu immunisation programmes for 2020 to 2021.
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Added flu immunisation training recommendations for 2020 to 2021.
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Added resources for the 2020 to 2021 flu season.
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Added oval albumin flu vaccines table to 2020 to 2021 season.
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Added the national flu immunisation programme plan for 2020 to 2021.
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Added 'flu vaccination for people aged 65 and under' leaflet.
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Added new inactivated influenza vaccine guidance for healthcare professionals.
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Added revised flu immunisation for social care staff leaflet.
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Added 2019 to 2020 child flu vaccination programme guidance for healthcare professionals.
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Added new season flu template letters, ovalbumin table and flu posters.
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Added links to the 2019 to 2020 training slide sets and to guidance for vaccine administration to healthcare staff.
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Added new annual national flu programme letter.
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Added recommended vaccines for 2019 to 2020 seasonal flu vaccination programme letter.
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Added 'Flu vaccination: for people aged 65 years and older.'
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Added flu vaccines for the 2018 to 2019 flu season poster.
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Added revised guidance for early years settings.
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Added revised versions of the flu vaccines poster, invitation letters and easy read leaflets to the 2018 to 2019 influenza programme.
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Added new version of Guidance on outbreaks of influenza outbreaks.
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Added WInter flu leaflet, Ovalbumin influenza vaccine table and Inactivated influenza vaccine guidance for healthcare practitioners to 2018 to 2019 flu season.
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Added Flu poster for visitors to hospitals and care homes.
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Added to slidesets and guidelines for the children's and national flu programmes for 2018 to 2019.
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Added the national flu immunisation programme letter for 2018 to 2019.
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Added the supporting data supporting data for adult vaccines document.
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Added an influenza poster for care homes.
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Added new information leaflet for social care staff.
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Moved revised 'Flu vaccination for early years settings' to 2017 to 2018 flu season section.
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Updated Information for healthcare professions on the 2017 to 2018 national flu immunisation programme, and use of inactivated influenza.
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Added the ovalbumin content of the influenza vaccines and best practice guide for GPs leaflet for the 2017 to 2018 flu season.
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Revised GP letter templates for the 2017 to 2018 flu season.
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Updated childhood flu vaccines graphic for winter 2017 to 2018.
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Updated 'Flu vaccination: who should have it this winter and why' for 2017 to 2018.
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Added school resources and promotional material for the 2017 to 2018 flu season.
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Added National flu immunisation programme plan for 2017 to 2018.
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Tailoring immunisation programmes report 2016 - Charedi community in north east London.
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Inactivated influenza vaccine guidance for healthcare practitioners
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New easy read childhood nasal flu leaflet
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New flu leaflet for early years settings including child minders
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Report on the extension of the Influenza programme
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2016 to 2017 winter flu leaflet
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Influenza vaccines for the 2015 to 2016 flu season
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Updated Flu vaccination invitation letter templates for 2016 to 2017 flu season for at risk patients and for children aged 2, 3 and 4 years
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Added new pre-school vaccinations leaflet.
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Added flu vaccine: best practice guide for GPs.
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Information of the 2016 to 2017 flu vaccination programme.
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Added guidance about live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) vaccine, to help head teachers and HCWs.
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Added: 'Responding to cold chain failures involving the LAIV' and 'Use of the LAIV: Q&A guide'.
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An easy read flu vaccination invitation letter template for people with learning difficulties is now available.
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An interactive flu immunisation elearning programme is available for anyone involved in delivering the flu immunisation programme.
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Updated poster showing which vaccines children should have.
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Added a quick reference guide to the childhood flu vaccines for winter 2015 to 2016.
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New GP letter templates to invite children aged 2 to 4 years and at-risk patients for flu vaccination.
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Added a flu leaflet for people with learning disability.
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Added: workforce planning and models of delivery toolkit for the extension of the national flu immunisation programme to children.
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Influenza vaccines available in the UK for the 2015 to 2016 flu vaccination season
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Added 'Flu plan: 2015 to 2016'.
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The 'Children’s flu vaccination programme: nasal flu vaccine Fluenz and porcine gelatine guidance' has been added.
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Added new guidance about flu vaccination in pregnancy.
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Updated leaflets for childhood flu immunisation.
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The 'Flu: pregnancy poster' and 'Flu: serious if you have a long-term health condition poster' have been published.
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Joint letter from PHE, DH and NHS England about flu vaccination for healthcare workers added.
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Updated to include leaflet for parents about Fluenz, children's nasal vaccine.
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The Flu vaccination: invitation template letter has been uploaded.
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Added 'Influenza vaccine and porcine gelatine: guidance for health professionals' to annual flu collection and removed inline link.
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The 'Accessing the flu vaccine strategic reserve in England guidance: 2014 to 2015' has been uploaded.
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The 'Flu vaccination in pilot areas 2014 to 2015 stakeholder briefing' has been uploaded.
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The 'Childhood flu programme slide sets for healthcare professionals: 2014 to 2015' and 'National flu programme for healthcare professionals slide sets: 2014 to 2015' have been uploaded.
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Rearranged order of documents on request
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Flu vaccination: winter 2014 to 2015 promotional material added.
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'Childhood flu immunisation programme 2014 to 2015: update and provisional roll-out schedule' and 'Childhood flu immunisation programme 2013 to 2014: pilot feedback' have been added to this page.
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Childhood flu immunisation programme from September 2014 to 2015: information for parents and schools guidance added.
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Added the 2014 to 2015 flu plan and supporting programme letter.
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Added poster promoting flu jabs for people at risk.
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Added link to the vaccines and gelatine response statement.
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First published.