More than 10 million flu jabs given, and a new way to book one in the NHS App
What happened
On Wednesday 22 October 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care launched a social media campaign to tell people about a new feature in the NHS App. You can now use the app to check whether you can have a free flu jab, and then book one at a community pharmacy. The campaign runs on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, and for the first time on TikTok. Health Minister James Frith MP said the vaccine is "easier than ever to access". The government also shared how the autumn has gone so far. More than 10 million flu jabs have been given in England since booking opened in August and vaccinations began in September. Around 2.7 million of those were given in a single week. Alongside the app, school vaccination teams are aiming to visit every school by the end of November, with second visits finished by 11 December. A programme called MAVIS, which handles school immunisation records, has been sped up to cover 14,000 schools this year. From 1 December, community pharmacies will run the first catch-up programme for school-age children who missed their jab earlier in the year.
Why this matters
Flu is not just a bad cold. For some people it can be dangerous. The UK Health Security Agency estimates that flu vaccination prevented around 100,000 hospital stays and 7,000 deaths in England in the last year. The problem is that many of the people who would benefit most do not come forward. The government says fewer than half of under-65s with a long-term chest condition had the flu jab last winter, even though people in that group are about seven times more likely to die from flu. Part of the reason is simple: people do not always know they are eligible. If you are under 65 and were recently diagnosed with a condition like Parkinson's, you may never have been told that the jab is free for you. Unpaid carers are another group who often miss out, even though they can ask their GP or pharmacist for a free vaccine. That is why a booking tool inside an app most people already have on their phone is more useful than it first sounds. It removes a step. You do not have to guess, ring round, or wait for a letter.
What the evidence actually says
The flu vaccine does not stop every infection. It is not meant to. What it does well is reduce the chance of becoming seriously ill, needing hospital care, or dying. The UKHSA figures above are estimates, worked out by comparing what happened with what the models suggest would have happened without a vaccination programme. They are not a precise count. But the direction of the evidence has been steady for many years, and it is why the NHS repeats the offer every autumn: the flu virus changes, so last year's protection fades. The list of people offered a free jab in England is deliberately focused on those most at risk. It includes adults aged 65 and over, people with certain long-term health conditions, pregnant women, young children, people in clinical risk groups, and unpaid carers of a disabled or older person. Main carers of someone with multiple sclerosis are included too. A long list of charities put their names to a joint open letter on the day of the launch, among them the British Heart Foundation, Asthma + Lung UK, Diabetes UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, the Stroke Association, Parkinson's UK, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, the National Kidney Federation and the MS Society. Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, warned that flu can be life-threatening for vulnerable people. Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, pointed out that the jab itself takes "just five minutes". When that many independent organisations, each with their own patients to think about, say the same thing, it is worth taking seriously. They are not selling anything.
Qurexa perspective
We deliver prescriptions across Lincolnshire, so we spend a lot of time with people who are on the eligible list. Many of them are the very people the government says are missing out: under 65, managing a long-term condition, and not sure whether the jab is meant for them. If that sounds like you, the honest answer is usually yes. A quick check in the NHS App takes less time than reading this article. If you are housebound and cannot easily get to a pharmacy, ask your GP practice about a home visit for your vaccination. And if you are an unpaid carer, please do check your own eligibility as well as the person you look after. Protecting yourself is part of protecting them.
Practical advice
Here is the short version of how to get a free flu jab in England this winter. **Check if you can have one.** Open the NHS App and use the eligibility check, or look at the NHS website. You can also ring 119, ask your GP surgery, or ask at a pharmacy. **Book it, or just turn up.** The NHS App lets you book at a community pharmacy. Many pharmacies also take walk-ins. Your GP surgery may be running clinics too. **If you are pregnant,** ask your maternity team, GP or pharmacist. The jab is recommended at any stage of pregnancy. **For children,** pharmacies can vaccinate two- and three-year-olds, and children aged 2 to 17 who are in a clinical risk group. School teams are visiting schools until the end of November. If your child missed theirs, the pharmacy catch-up starts on 1 December. **If you are an unpaid carer,** say so when you book. You do not need a formal carer's assessment to ask. **Do not wait for the last minute.** It takes around two weeks for the protection to build up, and flu usually picks up as the weather turns. Appointments also get busier through November.
What to know
More than 10 million flu jabs have already been given in England this autumn, and you can now check your eligibility and book at a pharmacy inside the NHS App. The jab is free for people most at risk, including over-65s, pregnant women, people with long-term conditions and unpaid carers. Many people who qualify simply do not realise it, so a two-minute check is worth doing. School visits run to the end of November and a pharmacy catch-up for school-age children starts on 1 December. Sources: GOV.UK (Department of Health and Social Care), "Social media campaign urges Brits to get vaccinated for winter", 22 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/social-media-campaign-urges-brits-to-get-vaccinated-for-winter; GOV.UK (UK Health Security Agency), "Flu levels low at start of season but higher than previous 4 years", 8 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/flu-levels-low-at-start-of-season-but-higher-than-previous-4-years; 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 or other qualified healthcare professional.
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