Health officials in England are pushing a fresh flu vaccination drive, with the NHS reporting that over 10 million jabs have been administered since appointments opened in August, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. Bookings went live in August and injections started in September, with 2.7 million doses given in the past week alone.

Key points

  • 10 million doses — flu vaccinations delivered in England since August.
  • Social media push — campaign runs on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and, for the first time, TikTok.
  • App bookings — a new NHS App feature lets people check eligibility and book at a community pharmacy.
  • School programme — the MAVIS system now covers 14,000 schools, with a pharmacy catch-up scheme planned.

The government is promoting the campaign online and has added a tool to the NHS App that lets users confirm whether they qualify and arrange a jab at a high street chemist. It has also sped up the rollout of its school immunisation system, known as MAVIS, to 14,000 schools, and later this year will offer a catch-up route through community pharmacies for pupils who missed their dose.

Those eligible include young children, pregnant women, older adults and people with long-term health conditions. UKHSA estimates that flu vaccination prevented about 100,000 hospital admissions and 7,000 deaths in England over the past year.

Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said booking has been made simpler.

“We are expecting this winter to be tough, but flu vaccines are a vital way for you to avoid becoming really ill and hospitalised, so please do book your flu jab as soon as possible.”

Separately, the UK Health Security Agency's cold mortality report estimates that 2,200 deaths were linked to low temperatures last winter. Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said short cold spells can still have serious health effects. Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said frontline health workers have a professional duty to protect patients, which includes being vaccinated against transmissible diseases.

Editor's comment

What it means in practice

For most people the change is administrative rather than dramatic: eligibility can now be checked and a slot booked without ringing a surgery, and parents can consent to school vaccinations through digital forms. The practical question is whether you or someone you care for falls into a qualifying group — and if so, acting early rather than waiting for winter pressures to build.

  • Check eligibility in the NHS App before assuming you are or are not covered.
  • Book at a pharmacy if a GP appointment is hard to find; community chemists are part of the scheme.
  • Parents should watch for school consent forms and use the pharmacy catch-up route if a child misses their dose.