Guidance

Flu vaccination: reminder letters

Call and recall flu vaccination reminder letters are being sent out to at-risk groups for this flu season.

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For the first time, this year, the NHS in England is implementing a national call and recall service to ensure people who are eligible to get a free flu vaccination are aware that they are eligible and are aware of where they can go to get vaccinated.

The flu vaccination reminder letters, from the National Call and Recall Service, are in addition to the correspondence that GPs and school immunisation providers send out inviting patients for a flu vaccination, and this is stated in the national letters.

The national letters serve as a reminder rather than an invite and direct people to the types of vaccine provider service that is appropriate for the cohort they are in (for instance, over-65s should visit their registered GP or a participating community pharmacy).

Not everyone who is eligible for a free flu vaccination will receive a letter, due to the data that is held centrally (for instance household contacts of the shielded and pregnant women are not being sent letters). If you are unsure of your eligibility, please visit NHS.UK or ask your GP or a community pharmacist for advice.

The NHS Immunisation Management Service is also making some follow-up phone calls after the letters have gone out to better understand why people haven’t taken up the opportunity of this very important vaccination, and to see if there is any help and support that can be offered.

Updates to this page

Published 4 November 2020
Last updated 18 November 2020 + show all updates
  1. Updated child and adult flu vaccination information.

  2. First published.

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