The NHS began rolling out its autumn/winter flu vaccination programme on 1 September 2025, with eligibility starting at different times for different groups, Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared, the local resilience forum, has reported1.
From the week beginning 1 September, the groups eligible for a flu vaccination are pregnant women; all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August; primary school-aged children from Reception to Year 6; secondary school-aged children from Year 7 to Year 11; and all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to under 18 years1.
A second set of groups becomes eligible from 1 October: everyone aged 65 years and over; individuals aged 18 to under 65 with certain long-term health conditions; care home residents; carers in receipt of Carer's Allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person; those living with people who are immunocompromised; and frontline health and social care workers1.
| Eligible from | Groups |
|---|---|
| 1 September 2025 | Pregnant women; children aged 2 or 3 on 31 August; primary school-aged children (Reception to Year 6); secondary school-aged children (Year 7 to Year 11); children in clinical risk groups aged 6 months to under 18 |
| 1 October 2025 | Everyone aged 65 and over; people aged 18 to under 65 with certain long-term health conditions; care home residents; carers in receipt of Carer's Allowance or main carers of an elderly or disabled person; those living with people who are immunocompromised; frontline health and social care workers |
The same announcement set out the 2025 Covid-19 vaccination offer, which it describes as a change from the autumn 2024 programme. For autumn 2025, Covid-19 vaccination will be offered to adults aged 75 years and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and individuals who are immunosuppressed aged 6 months and over. The autumn 2024 programme also included adults aged 65 to 74 and all those aged 6 months and over in a clinical risk group1.
"From this week (1 Sept), these groups are eligible for a flu vaccination"
"Then from 1 October: everyone aged 65 years and over"
Why it matters for households
Households with young children, pregnant women or a family member in a clinical risk group fall into the first wave, eligible from 1 September. Older people, adults with certain long-term health conditions, care home residents, carers and frontline health and social care workers become eligible from 1 October1. The announcement states that people who are eligible can book a flu vaccination online or via the NHS App now, for appointments from 1 October, and that they do not need to wait to be invited1. The same booking route and start date apply to the Covid-19 vaccination for the narrower autumn 2025 Covid-19 groups1. The site's guide on who can get a free flu vaccine sets out eligibility in more detail, and its page on vaccines that protect against outbreaks covers flu, Covid-19 and measles.
What happens next
Appointments for both programmes are available from 1 October 2025, with booking open online or through the NHS App from the date of the announcement1. The announcement gives no further dates beyond that.
Sources (1)
- Autumn/Winter flu and Covid-19 vaccination programme - News - Wiltshire & Swindon Prepared, wiltshireandswindonprepared.org.uk
Free Flu Vaccine Eligibility
Vaccines Against Outbreaks
