Flu & Covid Vaccination – Autumn 2025
Who should have the flu vaccine?
The flu vaccine helps protect against flu, which can be a serious or life-threatening illness. It’s offered on the NHS every year in autumn or early winter to people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu.
The flu vaccine is recommended for people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu.
It’s offered on the NHS every year in autumn or early winter.
You can get the free NHS flu vaccine if you:
- are aged 65 or over (including those who will be 65 by 31 March 2026)
- have certain long-term health conditions
- are pregnant
- live in a care home
- are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive a carer’s allowance
- live with someone who has a weakened immune system
Frontline health and social care workers can also get a flu vaccine through their employer.
Covid Vaccine – Eligible groups for Autumn 2025
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has updated its advice for the autumn 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme, which has been accepted by ministers. The focus of the programme is shifting towards targeted vaccination of those at highest risk of serious disease.
Following JCVI guidance for Autumn 2025, COVID-19 vaccination will be offered to:
- adults aged 75 years and over
- residents in care homes for older adults
- individuals who are immunosuppressed aged 6months and over
This represents a change from the autumn 2024 programme, which also included adults aged 65 to 74 and all those aged 6 months and over in a clinical risk group.
The eligibility is the same across the 4 nations of the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).
The vaccine should usually be offered no earlier than around 6 months after the last vaccine dose. If you are eligible, you can get protection from an autumn COVID-19 vaccination even if you have not taken up a COVID-19 vaccine offer in the past.
Who’s eligible for the 2025 COVID-19 vaccine, or ‘Autumn Booster’? – UK Health Security Agency