Seasonal Flu Vaccination
The flu vaccine is a safe and effective vaccine. It’s offered every year on the NHS to help protect people at risk of flu and its complications.
This page is about the flu vaccine for adults.
Find out about the children’s flu vaccine
The best time to have the flu vaccine is in the autumn before flu starts spreading. But you can get the vaccine later.
Flu vaccine and coronavirus (COVID-19)
Flu vaccination is important because:
- If you’re at higher risk from coronavirus, you’re also more at risk of problems from flu
- If you get flu and coronavirus at the same time, research shows you’re more likely to be seriously ill
- It’ll help to reduce pressure on the NHS and social care staff who may be dealing with coronavirus
If you’ve had COVID-19, it’s safe to have the flu vaccine. It’ll be effective at helping to prevent flu.
Who can have the flu vaccine?
The flu vaccine is given to people who:
- are 65 and over (including those who’ll be 65 by 31 March 2021)
- have certain health conditions
- are pregnant
- are in a long-stay residential care
- receive a carer’s allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick
- frontline health or social care workers
Advice for people aged 50 to 64
If you’re aged 50 to 64 and have a health condition that means you’re more at risk from flu, you should get your flu vaccine as soon as possible.
Other 50- to 64-year-olds should be contacted about a flu vaccine later in the year.
Where to get the flu vaccine
You can have the NHS flu vaccine at:
- your GP surgery
- a pharmacy offering the service
- your midwifery service if you’re pregnant
If you have your flu vaccine at a pharmacy, you do not have to tell the GP. The pharmacist should tell them.
All adult flu vaccines are given by injection into the muscle of the upper arm.