The vaccine helps protect against the flu virus, which spreads more easily in winter when we spend more time indoors - and can cause serious or life-threatening illness for some.
Read more about flu symptoms and the treatment for flu.
Eligibility for the free flu vaccination
You are eligible for a free flu vaccination if you are:
- 65 years or older
- have certain long-term health conditions, including asthma, heart, kidney and lung disease or diabetes. Learn more about eligible health conditions.
- pregnant
- live in a care home
- are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive a carer's allowance
- live with someone who has a weakened immune system
All frontline health and social care staff providing direct care without an employer-led occupational health scheme are also eligible for a free flu vaccination.
This includes staff working in:
- a registered residential care or nursing home for older people
- a registered care home for people with learning disabilities or mental health conditions
- supported living or extra care housing, hospice or refuge
How to get the flu vaccine
If you're eligible for an NHS flu vaccine, you can:
- book a free NHS flu vaccination appointment:
- at a pharmacy online
- via the NHS App (if over 18 years old)
- find a pharmacy that offers free NHS flu vaccinations via walk-ins and no appointments (if over 18 years old)
- contact your GP surgery to book an appointment
- some people may be able to get vaccinated through their maternity service or care home.
Last year flu killed around 8,000 people in England while vaccination prevented between 96,000 and 120,000 hospitalisations.
Kent County Council's Director of Public Health gets his annual flu vaccine done
Kent County Council Director of Public Health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, said: “Vaccination is currently the best defence we have against the flu virus and it saves lives. I’ve recently had mine – it was quick and painless. If you are eligible, please do get protected and help protect others.”
More than 4.3 million people in England had the flu vaccine by the end of September – nearly a million more than the same time last year.
People aged 75 or over, anyone with a weakened immune system, or those living in older adult care homes are also eligible for a seasonal COVID-19 vaccination.
Dr Amanda Doyle, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, said: “Vaccination is a crucial part of our efforts to protect the vulnerable and prepare for what we expect to be a very challenging winter. I’m delighted to see this big increase in the numbers of people getting vaccinated at this stage.”
Flu - the facts
There’s a lot of misinformation about flu vaccination. The facts are:
- the vaccine can’t give you flu - the injectable vaccine given to adults is made from inactive virus. You may get a sore arm or feel a bit under the weather for a day but that's milder than actual flu and just your immune system building protection.
- you may have been vaccinated before, or had flu in the past, but immunity fades over time and flu viruses change every year - that’s why flu vaccines are annually updated to give protection against the strains of flu that are most likely to be going around.
Find out more about flu vaccines from NHS Kent and Medway's trusted Get Vaccinated Now website (www.getvaccinatednow.co.uk)
