Why have a flu vaccine?
The NHS provides free flu vaccination to people who are more likely to become seriously ill or need hospital treatment if they catch the flu. The vaccine helps your immune system recognise and fight flu, giving you extra protection against more serious symptoms. Older adults and people with certain long-term health conditions are more likely to develop serious complications from flu.
Flu can also be particularly unpleasant for children and can result in missed days at school and parents or carers needing to take time off work. Children can also spread flu easily to other people – vaccinating children helps protect them and people who are more vulnerable to serious flu, including babies, pregnant people and older adults.
What is flu? Isn’t it just a bad cold?
Flu (influenza) is a very contagious viral infection that usually occurs in winter. It can cause symptoms that come on suddenly, including:
- a high temperature or feeling feverish
- extreme tiredness
- aching muscles and joints
- a dry cough
- sore throat
- a blocked or stuffy nose
- headache
Most healthy people recover within 2 to 7 days, although you may feel tired for longer.
Flu can sometimes cause serious complications, including bronchitis or pneumonia. Some people need hospital treatment and, in some cases, flu can be life-threatening. The risk of serious illness is higher in older people, young children, pregnant people and people with certain health conditions.
Other winter illnesses like the common cold or RSV are caused by a different type of virus. Colds commonly cause a blocked or runny nose, sore throat and cough, and usually improve within a few days. Colds are much less serious – a bad bout of flu can be much worse than a heavy cold.
Are there side-effects?
Flu vaccines are very safe and have been used in England for over 60 years.
The children’s nasal spray vaccine contains a live, weakened form of the flu virus. It can’t live long at body temperature, so it does not cause flu in healthy children.
The flu jab is an inactivated vaccine – it contains small parts of a flu virus that cannot reproduce, so it cannot give you flu.
Like all medicines, flu vaccines can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. Most side effects are mild and usually go away within a few days.
Common side effects of the injected vaccine:
- Pain, redness or swelling where the vaccine was given
- headache
- muscle aches
- tiredness
- feeling generally unwell
Side effects that can occur less often include fever, chills, joint pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea.
Common side effects of the children’s nasal spray:
- a blocked or runny nose
- reduced appetite
- feeling generally unwell
- headache
- muscle aches
- fever
Serious allergic reactions are very rare. The person giving the vaccine will be trained to recognise and treat a serious allergic reaction if it occurs. For full information about possible side effects, including rare reactions, please read the vaccine patient information leaflet (PIL):
- Fluenz nasal spray (for children)
- Cell-based trivalent influenza vaccine (for adults and some children)
Who can have a flu vaccine, and when?
From 1 September 2026, flu vaccination will be offered to:
- Pregnant people
- Children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2026
- Children from Reception to Year 11 (given at school)
- Children aged aged 6 months to under 18 years who are in a clinical risk group
From 1 October 2026, flu vaccination will be offered to:
- Everyone aged 65 years and over
- Adults over 18 in a clinical risk group
- People living in a long-stay residential care home
- People who receive Carer’s Allowance, or who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
- Close contacts of people who are immunocompromised
- People experiencing homelessness, including those staying in a night shelter or homeless hostel
Click for a list of clinical risk groups:
Chronic (long-term) respiratory disease, such as asthma (that requires continuous or repeated use of inhaled or systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis
Chronic heart disease and vascular disease
Chronic kidney disease at stage 3, 4 or 5
Chronic liver disease
Chronic neurological disease, such as Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease
Learning disability
Diabetes and adrenal insufficiency
Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
A weakened immune system due to disease (such as HIV/AIDS) or treatment (such as for cancer)
Morbidly obese adults (aged from 16 years) with a BMI of 40kg/m2 and above
Should I or my child take the vaccine if we are unwell?
If you have a high temperature or are acutely unwell, you should usually wait until you have recovered before having the flu vaccine.
This is not because the vaccine is harmful, but because it can be difficult to tell if new symptoms are caused by your illness or by a vaccine side effect.
You can usually have the flu vaccine if you have a mild illness, such as a mild cold.
If you are unsure whether you should have your vaccination, please speak to a healthcare professional.
How well do the vaccines work?
Flu vaccines aim to protect you against the most common types of flu viruses.
There’s still a chance you might get flu after getting vaccinated, but it’s likely to be milder and not last as long.
The vaccines usually take up to 14 days to work, so you should try to get vaccinated before peak season (usually December and January)
Protection against flu goes down with time and the types of flu virus the vaccine protects against are updated each year. This is why it’s important to get the flu vaccine every year.
Does the flu vaccine contain gelatine?
The children’s nasal spray contains a small amount of gelatine from pigs (porcine gelatine). A flu vaccine injection is available that does not contain gelatine. If you do not want your child to have the nasal spray vaccine, speak to the person vaccinating your child.
Who will give the vaccine?
Once you have read this information and consent to the flu vaccination, you should book your appointment using the link sent via text message. Your vaccine will be given by a member of the clinical team.
If you are unsure whether to get the vaccine or have questions about it, please contact the practice to book an appointment with a practice nurse instead.
