Three-year flu vaccination goals set by NHS England

Getty/PrathanChorruangsak

By Olivia Bowthorpe

NHS England has published a new three-year plan for the seasonal flu vaccination programme, aiming for higher uptake and greater monitoring.

The letter covers national aims for the 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 flu seasons. This year the programme is due to begin on 1 September for children, pregnant women and some adults, with all other eligible groups offered vaccination from 1 October.

Providers are expected to offer vaccination to all eligible people, with most doses given by 30 November, although the programme will continue until the end of March 2027.

Stronger oversight of programme delivery is part of the plan, with uptake to be monitored weekly using data from the NHS Federated Data Platform. This year, performance is a scoring metric in the NHS Outcomes Framework.

All integrated care boards and NHS trusts must have a named board-level lead for seasonal vaccination. Regional plans for uptake must be approved by the end of July.