Following disruption to vaccine supplies from Supemtek practices were advised to order alternative stock from CSL Seqirus. It is our understanding that most practices have been able to get enough stock to run their clinics, if your practice has any supply difficulties please contact the London Immunisations Team.
The national flu immunisation programme 2026-2027 letter was published on the 26 February 2026, NHS England published an amendment to the letter on the 9 June 2026, details of the childhood enhanced service were published in July and the adult enhanced service specification was last updated in August.
A summary of the changes in the amendment are as follows:
- Community pharmacy will be able to offer children flu vaccinations during the 2026 to 2027 season (2-3 year olds, children in clinical risk groups and for school aged children who missed the opportunity to be vaccinated by SAIS providers).
- Those aged 16 and over who are experiencing homelessness will be eligible for the flu vaccine from the 1st of October 2026 and have been added to the clinical at risk groups.
From 1 September 2026, the following groups are eligible. Where ‘clinical risk groups’ are mentioned, these are defined in the Green Book, Influenza Chapter:
- pregnant women
- all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2026
- primary school and secondary school-aged children, from reception to year 11
- young people aged 17 and over attending a special educational needs (SEN) school who are also in a clinical risk group
- all children in clinical risk groups, from 6 months to less than 18 years
From1 October 2026, the following groups become eligible:
- everyone aged 65 years and over
- all adults in clinical risk groups, from age 18 to under 65
- residents of long-stay residential care homes
- carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
- close contacts of people who are immunocompromised
- rough sleepers and those using homeless hostels or night shelters aged 16 years and over
- frontline social care workers without access to an employer-led occupational health scheme, including those working in:
- registered residential care or nursing homes
- domiciliary care
- voluntary managed hospices
- personal assistants employed through direct payments or personal health budgets
The NHS winter vaccinations toolkit can help to communicate eligibility and timings to patients.
UKHSA has published a PGD and VGD template for administering inactivated influenza vaccine or live attenuated influenza vaccine in line with the national seasonal flu vaccination programme for the 26/27 season, valid from 1st September 2026 to 31st March 2027.
VGDs, introduced in April 2026, represent a permanent legal framework designed to introduce flexibility in using a wider group of healthcare staff in delivering national vaccine campaigns, currently Covid-19 and influenza. VGDs permit the delegation of certain tasks, specifically the preparation and administration of vaccines, to appropriately trained and supervised staff without the need for a prescriber’s direct involvement. However, registered healthcare practitioners retain responsibility for clinical assessment and obtaining informed consent. Providers are recommended to use the Influenza Vaccine Group Direction (VGD) to delegate administration of LAIV to unregistered staff, such as healthcare support workers as the supply only element has been removed from the LAIV PGD.
Administration by healthcare support workers (HCSWs)
Following queries in relation to consent for vaccinations during the previous flu season, the UKHSA produced this advice to clarify the circumstances in which HCSWs may administer flu jabs.
In summary, it is the responsibility of registered healthcare professionals (HCP) as prescribers to obtain consent for vaccination. If the patient is not receiving the vaccine for the first time, HCSWs may administer flu vaccinations which have previously been consented to by a registered HCP under a PSD or VGD if the following apply:
- Consent has been previously obtained by a registered HCP e.g. by a nurse under a PGD or a prescriber under a PSD and the vaccine is of the same formulation that is unchanged except for the seasonally updated antigens and the patient confirms this is still valid
- There are no relevant changes to the patient’s medical history or circumstances
- The HCSW undertakes basic checks to confirm that it is safe to administer the vaccine e.g. the patient is not febrile and no other contraindications apply since the original assessment to ensure patient safety
- They must seek support from a registered HCP if:
- The patient has concerns
- The patient wishes to discuss risks/ benefits further
- The patient requires in depth assessment for contraindications e.g. immunosuppression or allergy, the most notable point is this:
If the patient is receiving the vaccination for the first time, a registered HCP will need to undertake a clinical assessment and obtain and record consent appropriately. This can be done through a number of mechanisms including direct discussion or communication e.g. Accurx, email or letter. The patient should be provided with relevant information on the risks and benefits of vaccination for example through the NHS website.
Influenza vaccines for the 2026/27 season
Information on all influenza vaccines that will be marketed in the UK for the 2026/27 season is available here. This easy reference poster can help you provide the correct vaccine when in practice. A poster covering cold chain requirements is here. The DHSC has published toolkits to support practices with their winter vaccine delivery, available here.
Our Londonwide LMCs Buying Group partner Hillcroft Surgery Supplies is running a promotion on vaccine fridges and other storage products until 30 September 2026, with up to 41% off certain lines. Upgrade to improve energy efficiency and take away any worries about meeting CQC required temperatures. You can access this deal and other discounts exclusive to practices in the Londonwide LMCs’ area via their dedicated page.