UPDATED 17th September 2026
Flu and Covid-19 Vaccination will be available from 1st October 2026. (Pregnant women can get a flu jab as a walk in from 17th September 2026)
if you are not eligible for NHS vaccination, you can get a private jab.
Private flu jabs £20 – all branches
Private covid-19 – £95 (West Totton branch only)
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If you’re eligible for the flu vaccine and are aged 18 years or over, you can book a flu vaccination appointment at a pharmacy online or in the NHS App now. You can also book a vaccination appointment for a child aged 2 or 3 years.
If you’re eligible for the winter COVID-19 vaccine, you can book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment online or in the NHS App now. You can also book a vaccination appointment for a child aged 5 years or over.
Vaccination appointments will take place from 1 October 2026. (Appointments are available to book in September for pregnant women only)
FLU VACCINES
Who should have the flu vaccine
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 2027)
- 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
The flu vaccine is recommended for people with certain long-term health conditions, including:
- conditions that affect your breathing, such as asthma (needing a steroid inhaler or tablets), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or cystic fibrosis
- heart conditions, such as coronary heart disease or heart failure
- chronic kidney disease
- liver disease, such as cirrhosis or hepatitis
- some conditions that affect your brain or nerves, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy
- diabetes or Addison’s disease
- a weakened immune system due to a condition such as HIV or AIDS, or due to a treatment such as chemotherapy or steroid medicine
- problems with your spleen, such as sickle cell disease, or if you’ve had your spleen removed
- a learning disability
- being very overweight – a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above
Speak to your GP surgery or specialist if you have a health condition and you’re not sure if you’re eligible for the flu vaccine.
Flu vaccines for frontline health and social care workers
Frontline health and social care workers can also get a flu vaccine through their employer. If you cannot get a flu vaccine through your employer, you can get it at a pharmacy if you’re employed:
- by a registered residential care or nursing home
- by a registered domiciliary care provider
- by a voluntary managed hospice provider
- through direct payments or personal health budgets
Children’s flu vaccine
The children’s flu vaccine will be available on the NHS from some pharmacies for:
- All children aged 2 and 3 years of age on 31st August 2026 – that means children who were born on or after 1st September 2022 and on or before 31st August 2024;
- Children aged from 4 to 17 years who are classed as clinically at-risk or in another risk group (for example chronic respiratory, heart, vascular, kidney, liver, neurological, or adrenal disease, immunosuppressed, aspelnic or morbidly obese) (excluding those in the people experiencing homelessness risk group – see the next eligible group);
- Young people aged 16 and 17 years old who are in the ‘people experiencing homelessness’ risk group
- Any primary school and secondary school aged children, from Reception to Year 11, who missed the opportunity to receive a flu vaccination from the School Aged Immunisation Service and are not clinically at risk.
COVID-19 VACCINES
Who should have the COVID-19 vaccine
You can get the winter COVID-19 vaccine if you:
- are aged 75 or over (including those who will be 75 by 31 January 2027)
- are aged 6 months to 74 years (5 year olds and over can be vaccinated in pharmacies) and have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment
- live in a care home for older adults
You may be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine if you have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment.
This can include if you:
- have or had blood cancer, such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma
- have had an organ transplant, bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant
- have HIV
- have a genetic disorder that affects your immune system, such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)
- are having or recently had chemotherapy, biological therapy or radiotherapy
- are taking steroid medicine (depending on the dose)
- are having long-term immunosuppressive treatment for a condition such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), scleroderma or psoriasis
This list is a summary and does not include everything. Speak to your local pharmacy, GP surgery or specialist if you’re not sure if you’re eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Further Information
For more information, visit the NHS website
