Parents urged to take up children’s flu vaccination offer

Parents are being encouraged to make sure their children receive their flu vaccination this autumn, after figures showed that only around half of primary school pupils were vaccinated last winter.

According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), 55.5% of primary school-aged children received a flu vaccine during winter 2025/26, equivalent to around 2.5 million of the 4.5 million eligible children. Although this was slightly higher than the previous year, uptake remains below the levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vaccination programme is now getting under way in schools across England. Parents and carers are being reminded to return consent forms promptly when they receive them so children do not miss the opportunity to be vaccinated.

Most children receive the vaccine as a quick and painless nasal spray, although an injectable vaccine that does not contain gelatine from pigs is also available. Evidence from last winter suggests the flu vaccine prevented an estimated 68% of hospitalisations and 52% of GP visits among school-aged children.

Children eligible for a free flu vaccination include those aged 2 and 3, all children from Reception to Year 11, and children aged six months or over with certain long-term health conditions.

Vaccinating children can help protect them from becoming seriously ill while also reducing the spread of flu to family members and others who may be more vulnerable.

Parents and carers can find further information about the children’s flu vaccination programme on the GOV.UK website. Read the UKHSA announcement on GOV.UK