Free NHS flu jab from 1 October: who is on the list — and why 56% of eligible adults skip it

England's free flu jab is not open to everyone: it runs off a list. Children, pregnant women and some adults have been able to get it since 1 September; the main group — everyone aged 65 and over, plus adults in clinical risk groups — can be vaccinated from 1 October. The national booking service has been open since 17 August and stays open until 31 March 2027. Almost 19 million flu jabs were given in England last season and, on the NHS's own estimate, that prevented around 104,000 hospital admissions and 7,100 deaths. Even so, only 44% of at-risk adults aged 18 to 64 came forward — meaning 56% of people entitled to a free jab did not take it.

Who gets the flu jab free?

Only people on one of the NHS lists — not everyone who feels they catch colds often.

From 1 September 2026: pregnant women at any stage; every child who was 2 or 3 years old on 31 August 2026; school pupils from reception to year 11 (given at school, as a nasal spray); all children aged 6 months to under 18 in a clinical risk group.

From 1 October 2026: everyone aged 65 and over; adults aged 18 to 64 in a clinical risk group; residents of long-stay care homes; anyone receiving Carer's Allowance or acting as the main carer of an older or disabled person; people who live with someone who is immunosuppressed; people who are homeless, from age 16; frontline health and social care workers.

What counts as a clinical risk group?

A long-term condition on the NHS list — not your age and not how you feel.

The list covers chronic lung disease, including asthma treated with inhaled or oral steroids, chronic heart, kidney, liver and neurological disease, diabetes, a weakened immune system through illness or treatment, having no spleen, severe obesity and learning disability. If you are not sure whether you qualify, your GP record will show it: an invitation usually arrives on its own, by letter or text.

Two points worth knowing: pregnancy qualifies at any age and any stage, and Carer's Allowance entitles the person doing the caring, not the person being cared for.

Who gets the COVID-19 jab free?

This autumn the list is much shorter than the flu one: adults aged 75 and over, residents of care homes for older adults, and anyone aged 6 months and over who is immunosuppressed. Vaccination starts on 1 October.

The eligible groups have not changed since spring 2025. UKHSA puts COVID-19 hospital admissions in England between October 2025 and January 2026 at around 16,000, and vaccine effectiveness in the three months after the jab at 47%.

How do you book?

Four ways: the NHS App, the NHS website, calling 119, or your GP surgery directly. Pharmacies also give the jab, and some take walk-ins.

If you have recently moved to the UK, one line in the GOV.UK migrant health guidance matters: you do not need to show proof of identity, address or immigration status to register with a GP practice and get vaccinations. A surgery that demands a passport or a tenancy agreement as a condition of registering is not following the rules.

What is the deadline?

Booking formally runs to 31 March 2027, but the NHS aims to have the large majority vaccinated by 30 November. Flu usually picks up in December, and immunity takes roughly two weeks to build after the jab — so a January appointment protects you less well, not because the vaccine is weaker but because the season is already under way.

What if you are not on the list?

Check your employer, then compare pharmacies. Many companies pay for staff flu jabs or hand out vouchers, because it is cheaper than the sick days. Otherwise the jab is sold privately in pharmacies and supermarkets.

Which? recorded a near-twofold spread in private flu jab prices last season: £9.95 at Superdrug for loyalty members and £19.95 without, £14.97 at Asda, £16 at Tesco, £18.49 at Well, £19.99 at Rowlands and £21.95 at Boots. A private COVID-19 jab cost far more — roughly £45 to £100 a dose, and £98.95 at Boots. Each chain sets this season's prices itself, but the order of magnitude tends to hold, so it is worth comparing.

Does this apply across the UK?

The dates and lists above are for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own programmes: timings and eligible groups can differ, and booking goes through local services rather than the English national system.

What to remember?

If you are 65 or over, pregnant, caring for someone on Carer's Allowance, or living with a condition on the NHS list, the jab is free — and the appointment to book is in early October, not December. If you are not on the list, look at what your employer offers and compare pharmacy prices: last season more than £10 separated the cheapest chain from the dearest.

All the key dates are collected in the ONLYWAY calendar, day by day, with explanations.

Read also: How to register with a GP and get an NHS interpreter · NHS basics: GP, prescriptions and what is free