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Immunisation and vaccination
Vaccination helps prevent you, your family, and others from becoming unwell. If you’re not sure about you or your child’s vaccine status your GP surgery can advise or you may also be able to view via the NHS app.
View local vaccine clinics here. This will be updated regularly so please check back.
Vaccination programme updates
Vaccinations in pregnancy
A national campaign is encouraging people who are pregnant to get vaccinated against flu, RSV and whooping cough.
The campaign, Stay Strong. Get Vaccinated, explains how vaccination during pregnancy helps protect babies in their first months of life. A second phase of the campaign has been running since January 2026, with a focus on RSV and whooping cough.
If you are pregnant, speak to your midwife, GP or maternity team about recommended vaccinations.
Childhood immunisations update
Information for parents has been updated to reflect changes to the routine childhood vaccination programme, including the introduction of MMRV vaccination.
An updated childhood immunisation postcard is available, providing a simple overview of the infant vaccination schedule. It can be printed or shared digitally and is suitable for use across healthcare, childcare and community settings.
Translated versions will be available in the coming months.
Winter vaccines
Winter is the perfect season for viruses to spread as people spend more time indoors. The cold, damp weather can also put extra strain on your body, make it harder to fight off infections.
Find out more here: Winter vaccinations and winter health
Autumn/Winter Covid-19 and Flu vaccinations for housebound patients
All eligible housebound patients will have been offered COVID-19 and Flu vaccination by December 2025.
- If you are an eligible housebound patient, who has not been vaccinated or provided with a date for vaccination, please contact your GP.
- Your GP may have arranged for an alternative provider to visit you at home for vaccination
- Find out more about winter vaccinations here: Covid-19 vaccine – NHS
Flu
The NHS seasonal flu vaccination programme runs from early autumn to 31 March 2026, with most vaccinations completed by late November 2025 to ensure good protection during winter.
The flu jab is the best protection and the vaccine is made each year to match the latest strains, which is why it’s important to get the flu vaccine every year.
Who can have the flu vaccine this winter:
- Anyone age 65+.
- Children aged 2 and 3 years (on 31 August 2025), Primary school-aged children (Reception to Year 6) and some secondary school pupils (Years 7 to 11). Parents and carers can book their child’s flu vaccine appointment from 1 September. Most children get a small nasal spray in each nostril which only takes a few seconds and there’s no needle. Some children will have an injection instead due to certain health conditions or family preference. Both options protect against flu. Your nurse, GP, or school immunisation team will advise which one is right for your child. Community pharmacies will also be offering free flu vaccinations for 2 and 3 year olds from 1 October. Read more about flu vaccine for children here: Children’s flu vaccine – NHS.
- Pregnant women can book a vaccine appointment from 1 September. Read more about flu vaccination in pregnancy here: The flu jab in pregnancy – NHS.
- Anyone aged 6 months and over who has a long-term health condition, such as severe asthma, heart disease, diabetes, or a weakened immune system.
- People living with someone with a severely weakened immune system.
- Carers who receive Carer’s Allowance or are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person.
- People living in residential care homes.
Frontline health and social care workers can also get a flu vaccine through their employer.
Where to get it: GP surgeries, community pharmacies, some schools, and pop-up vaccination clinics.
The flu vaccine is recommended for people with certain long-term health conditions, including:
- conditions that affect your breathing, such as asthma (needing a steroid inhaler or tablets), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or cystic fibrosis
- heart conditions, such as coronary heart disease or heart failure
- chronic kidney disease
- liver disease, such as cirrhosis or hepatitis
- some conditions that affect your brain or nerves, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy
- diabetes or Addison’s disease
- a weakened immune system due to a condition such as HIV or AIDS, or due to a treatment such as chemotherapy or steroid medicine
- problems with your spleen, such as sickle cell disease, or if you’ve had your spleen removed
- a learning disability
- being very overweight – a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above
Speak to your GP surgery or specialist if you have a health condition and are not sure if you’re eligible for the flu vaccine.
More advice available on the NHS website and find symptoms and how to treat flu here: Flu – NHS
Covid-19
The winter COVID-19 vaccination and online vaccine booking service have closed. Find out more here: COVID-19 vaccine
Local outreach and follow-up vaccination activity will continue until 31 March 2026, to ensure eligible people who have not yet been vaccinated still have the opportunity to receive their dose.
People at higher clinical risk may be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at any time of year if advised by their clinician. They do not need to wait for the seasonal booster programme. A full list of conditions can be found on page 35 and 36 of the Green Book which lists eligible conditions.
If you are not sure please speak to your local pharmacist, GP practice or specialist to check.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) can cause serious breathing problems in babies, older adults, pregnant women and those with weakened immunity. The RSV vaccine helps protect those most at risk.
Who can get it:
- Anyone aged 75 to 79 (your GP will send an vaccination invite).
- Pregnant women from 28 weeks, to protect their babies (speak to your maternity service or GP surgery about the vaccine).
- People with conditions that make them more vulnerable to chest infections.
Where to get it: GP surgeries, maternity services (for pregnancy vaccination), and hospital clinics.
Find out more here: RSV vaccine – NHS
MMR vaccine vaccine
Updates to the Childhood Vaccination Schedule (from January 2026)
From 1 January 2026, the routine childhood immunisation schedule in the UK has been updated to include a combined MMRV vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella – chickenpox) for children born on or after 1 July 2024.
This means:
- Children will receive two doses of MMRV at 12 months and 18 months, replacing the previous separate MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) schedule for eligible cohorts.
- The second dose of MMR, previously given at around 3 years 4 months, now moves to 18 months for those eligible for MMRV.
- A catch-up programme will run from November 2026 to March 2028 for children aged 3 years 4 months to under 6 years who have not yet had chickenpox vaccination or disease.
These changes aim to protect children earlier and strengthen population immunity against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox and is part of the national NHS immunisation programme – this is based on expert clinical advice to protect children as early as possible.
Please see more: MMRV vaccination guide for parents and carers
Whooping cough
Whooping cough (pertussis) is an infection of the lungs and breathing tubes.
It spreads very easily and can be serious. More information here: Whooping cough – NHS
The whooping cough vaccine is given to:
- The 6-in-1 vaccine – for babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks
- The 4-in-1 pre-school booster – for children aged 3 years 4 months
- Pregnant women at around 20 weeks – to help protect your baby for the first few weeks of their life.
Speak to your GP surgery or midwife if you’re 20 weeks pregnant and have not been offered the whooping cough vaccine.
School age vaccines
Children and young people are offered routine vaccines at school, but if they missed these for any reason speak to your GP surgery to arrange a catch-up vaccine. You can also catch up with these vaccines as an adult if you missed out, your GP surgery will can advise.
Routine vaccines include those listed below. There are catch up clinics for those who may have missed out.
- Td/IVP: Tetanus, Diphtheria and Polio
- Men ACWY: Meningitis and septicaemia
- HPV: Human papillomavirus
- MMR: Measles Mumps and Rubella
- Dtap: Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough)
Shingles
Shingles is a common condition that causes a painful rash, caused by reactivation of the chicken-pox virus – in some cases with serious complications like long-term nerve pain. You are more likely to get shingles, and it’s more likely to cause serious problems as you get older or if you have a severely weakened immune system. Vaccination significantly reduces your chances of getting shingles and reduces the risk of serious outcomes if you do.
The shingles vaccine is now recommended for:
• Anyone aged 18 years or over who has a severely weakened immune system.
• Anyone aged 70 to 79 years.
• Individuals turning 65 on or after 1 September 2023 (they remain eligible up to age 80).
More information, including an eligibility checker, is at: getshinglesready.co.uk
MPox
Mpox is an infectious disease that can cause a painful rash, fever, headache, muscle ache, back pain and low energy.
There have been a small number of cases of mpox in the UK since 2022. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick.
More information about mpox and vaccination can be found here: Mpox – NHS
Mpox can spread through:
- direct contact with rash, skin lesions or scabs (including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or other skin-to-skin contact)
- contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, snot or mucous
contact with clothing or linens (such as bedding or towels) or other objects and surfaces used by someone with mpox
Pneumococcal vaccination
The pneumococcal vaccine helps protect against serious illnesses such as pneumonia and meningitis. It’s recommended for people at higher risk of these illnesses, such as babies and adults aged 65 and over.
The pneumococcal vaccine helps protect against some types of bacterial infections that can cause serious illnesses, including:
- meningitis(an infection in the brain and spinal cord)
- sepsis(a life-threatening reaction to an infection)
- pneumonia(an infection in the lungs)
The pneumococcal vaccine can only been given by a healthcare professional at your GP surgery. They will usually contact you if you or your child are eligible for the pneumococcal vaccine.
You are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from pneumococcal infections if you have:
- a long-term condition that affects your breathing such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or cystic fibrosis
- a long-term condition that affects your heart such as coronary heart disease or heart failure
- chronic kidney disease
- a long-term condition that affects your liver such as cirrhosis
- diabetes
- a weakened immune system due to a condition such as HIV, or a treatment such as steroid medicine or chemotherapy
- a condition where fluid that protects the brain and spinal cord leaks out (cerebrospinal fluid leaks)
- sickle cell disease, problems with your spleen or you have had your spleen removed
- cochlear implants
Read more: Pneumococcal vaccine – NHS
Useful links
- More about routine vaccinations: Immunisation and vaccination
- Read more: COVID-19 services – NHS
- Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation guidance: COVID-19 Greenbook chapter 14a
