Flu Jabs Begin for Children and Pregnant Women as NHS Starts Winter Push
What happened
The NHS in England has started this winter's flu vaccination programme. From 1 September 2026, school-aged children and pregnant women can get their free flu jab. NHS England announced the start of the rollout on 1 September. Most school-aged children will be offered the vaccine at school. It is usually given as a quick spray up the nose rather than an injection, so there is no needle for most children. Children aged 2 and 3 are offered the vaccine through their GP surgery instead. Pregnant women can have the jab at any stage of pregnancy. They can book through their GP practice, a maternity service or a local pharmacy that offers NHS flu vaccination. A second phase begins on 1 October 2026. That is when the vaccine opens up to a much wider group, including adults aged 65 and over, people with long-term health conditions, care home residents, carers, people who live with someone who has a weakened immune system, people experiencing homelessness, and frontline health and social care workers. The timing is deliberate. Flu usually peaks in Britain in December and January. Starting in September gives the body time to build up protection before the busiest weeks arrive.
Why this matters
Flu is not the same as a heavy cold. For most healthy adults it means a rough week in bed. But for some people it can be far more serious, leading to a hospital stay or worse. Two groups stand out this month. The first is pregnant women. Pregnancy changes how the immune system, heart and lungs work, which makes flu more likely to cause serious illness. Having the jab in pregnancy also passes some protection to the baby, which matters because newborns are too young to be vaccinated themselves. The second group is children. Children are often the ones who spread flu around a household, a classroom and then a whole community. Vaccinating them protects them directly, and it also helps shield grandparents, younger siblings and anyone nearby with a weaker immune system. There is also a wider picture. Every winter the NHS comes under real pressure. Beds fill, ambulances queue and planned operations get postponed. Vaccination is one of the few things that reduces that pressure before it starts rather than after.
What the evidence actually says
It is worth being clear about what the flu vaccine does and does not do. NHS England says that flu vaccination helped avoid around 104,000 hospital admissions last year. Nearly 19 million people in England had a flu jab last winter. Those are large numbers, and they come from the NHS's own reporting rather than from a manufacturer. The vaccine does not guarantee you will never catch flu. Flu viruses change from year to year, so the vaccine is rebuilt each season to match the strains expected to circulate. Some years the match is closer than others. What the evidence consistently shows is that vaccinated people who do catch flu tend to have milder illness and are less likely to end up in hospital. Side effects are usually mild and short-lived. A sore arm for a day or two is the most common one. Children given the nasal spray may get a runny or blocked nose for a few days. One honest caveat: protection fades over the season. That is part of why the NHS starts with the groups who benefit most, and why it does not open the whole programme in July. Having it too early can mean protection dips before flu peaks.
Qurexa perspective
At Qurexa we deliver prescriptions and support medication adherence across Lincolnshire, so we see a pattern every autumn. The people most likely to be offered a flu jab are often the same people juggling repeat prescriptions, hospital letters and appointments they have to arrange around work or caring for someone else. When life is that busy, a free vaccine can quietly slip down the list. It is not that people do not care. It is that the admin piles up. So our practical suggestion is simple: if you are already sorting a repeat prescription this month, deal with the flu jab in the same sitting. Book it while you have the phone in your hand. If you are a carer, remember that carers are included in the October phase, which people often do not realise. We are not a vaccination service and we are not trying to sell you anything here. But if we deliver your medicines, we would rather you had a quieter winter.
Practical advice
Here is how to act on this in the next week or two. If you are pregnant, you can have the jab now, at any stage. Ask your midwife, GP surgery or a local pharmacy. You do not need to wait for a letter. If you have a school-aged child, watch for the consent form. Schools usually send these out in the autumn term, and the vaccination session is often a single visit. If you miss it, ask your GP practice or look for a community catch-up clinic. If your child is 2 or 3, contact your GP surgery rather than the school. If you are 65 or over, have a long-term condition such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, are a carer, or work in health or social care, your turn starts on 1 October. You can often pre-book before then through the NHS booking system, your GP or a pharmacy. A few extras worth knowing. The jab is free for everyone eligible. You can usually have the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same appointment if you are eligible for both, which saves a trip. If you are unwell with a fever on the day, wait until you are better. And if you are unsure whether a health condition makes you eligible, ask your pharmacist rather than guessing. They can check for you.
What to know
Flu vaccination for school-aged children and pregnant women in England opened on 1 September 2026. The wider programme, covering over-65s, people with long-term conditions, carers and health and care staff, opens on 1 October 2026. Flu usually peaks in December and January, so there is time, but not unlimited time. The vaccine is free for those eligible, takes a few minutes, and most side effects are mild. It will not stop every case of flu, but the NHS links last year's programme to around 104,000 avoided hospital admissions. The single most useful thing you can do after reading this is check whether you or someone you care for is in one of the eligible groups, and book. If you are already dealing with a repeat prescription or an appointment this month, fold it into that. Sources: NHS England, "NHS kicks off flu jabs for children and pregnant women ahead of winter", 1 September 2026, https://www.england.nhs.uk/2026/09/nhs-kicks-off-flu-jabs-for-children-and-pregnant-women-ahead-of-winter/ | NHS England, "NHS urges those eligible to book a flu jab ahead of this winter season", 17 August 2026, https://www.england.nhs.uk/2026/08/nhs-urges-those-eligible-to-book-a-flu-jab-ahead-of-this-winter-season/ | NHS, "Flu vaccine", https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/flu-vaccine/ This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist, midwife or other qualified healthcare professional. If you are pregnant or have a health condition and are unsure whether the flu vaccine is right for you, please speak to your GP practice, midwife or pharmacist.
Related articles
MHRA Halts New Prescriptions of a Rare Disease Drug Over Trial Data Doubts
On 1 September 2026 the UK's medicines regulator, the MHRA, announced the result of a review into a medicine called Avacopan Vifor. It was previously sold under…
Seven-Minute Cholesterol Checks Are Coming to About 100 High Street Pharmacies
NHS England announced on 31 August 2026 that around 100 high street pharmacies in England will start offering cholesterol checks that take about seven minutes.…