Changes in COVID-19 vaccination eligibility for autumn/winter 2025/26

• Every year, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) considers who needs to be vaccinated, to help protect people from serious illness. Their advice on COVID-19 has changed because the threat from COVID-19 has changed. It has become a common milder infection for most people.
• This autumn/winter, vaccination is being offered only to people at highest risk of serious illness – older people and those who have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment. This is different to previous years.
• It’s possible for you to be eligible for a flu vaccine but not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, even if you’ve had it previously.
• For autumn/winter vaccination invitations, NHS England uses information from NHS records to check who is eligible for vaccination.
• Information in these records may no longer be relevant if the health condition has resolved or the diagnosis or medicines has changed.
• The clinician at the vaccination site will check eligibility before every vaccination.
• More information can be found at www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/invite-enquiry

You can get the autumn/ winter COVID-19 vaccine if you:

• are aged 75 or over (including those who will be 75 by 31 January 2026)
• are aged 6 months to 74 years and have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment (see below)
• live in a care home for older adults

You may be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine if you have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment.

This can include if you:

• have or had blood cancer, such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma
• have had an organ transplant, bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant
• have HIV
• have a genetic disorder that affects your immune system, such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)
• are having or recently had chemotherapy, biological therapy or radiotherapy
• are taking steroid medicine (depending on the dose)
• are having long-term immunosuppressive treatment for a condition such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), scleroderma or psoriasis
• A full list of conditions can be found on page 35 and 36 of the Green Book

Not sure if you’re eligible? This list doesn’t include all eligible health conditions. Speak to your local pharmacy, GP practice or specialist to check.

Eligibility for the flu vaccine autumn/winter 2025/26

The flu vaccine is recommended for people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu.

You can get the free NHS flu vaccine if you:

• are aged 65 or over (including those who will be 65 by 31 March 2026)
• have certain long-term health conditions (see below)
• 2-3 year olds
• school aged children (reception to year 11)
• are 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

Frontline health and social care workers can also get a flu vaccine through their employer.

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 you’re not sure if you’re eligible for the flu vaccine.