Nocturnal 
The NHS has issued an urgent plea to millions of people across England to come forward for their free flu and Covid-19 jabs, as the winter vaccination programme opened on Thursday.
Health chiefs say the vaccines “really do save lives” and are warning that this year’s flu season could be worse than usual, with a so-called “super flu” already circulating and cases of winter illness expected to peak earlier than normal.
Appointments have begun opening up at GP surgeries, pharmacies and walk-in clinics across the country, from Leicestershire and Rutland to Kent and Greater Manchester, with local NHS bodies all urging eligible residents to book as soon as they can.
Who is eligible?
The free flu and Covid-19 jabs are being offered to a wide range of people considered most at risk from serious illness this winter. According to NHS guidance shared by local health bosses, those eligible include:
- People aged 65 or over
- People aged 18 to 64 with certain long-term health conditions
- Pregnant women
- Care home residents
- Main carers for an older or disabled person, or those receiving carer’s allowance
- People experiencing homelessness or staying in a hostel or night shelter
- People aged six months to 74 with a weakened immune system
For Covid-19 specifically, the government has confirmed eligibility remains focused on adults aged 75 and over, care home residents and people who are immunosuppressed, in line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
Pregnant women due to give birth this winter are also being urged to get whooping cough and RSV vaccines, which health experts say can give newborn babies vital protection against both viruses.
Why the NHS is worried this year
Dr Nil Sanganee, chief medical officer of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board, said it was “vitally important” to protect those most at risk before winter takes hold, warning that without vaccination, vulnerable people could become “seriously unwell” and need hospital treatment.
“It’s also important to remember that the immunity you have built up from previous vaccinations reduces over time and may not be as effective against new variants of both viruses,” he said.
In Greater Manchester, Dr Paula Cowan, a GP and regional medical director for NHS England, pointed out that flu cases peaked much earlier than usual last winter, putting extra strain on hospitals. More than two million flu jabs were given across the North West last year, with around four million people eligible this time round.
Elsewhere, health leaders in London have reportedly flagged “vaccine fatigue” as a factor behind low uptake in some areas, with councillors in Barking and Dagenham told there are “pockets of hesitancy” locally. The Guardian has also reported that experts want the NHS to apply lessons learned from the Covid pandemic to tackle this winter’s flu pressures.
How to book
People who believe they’re eligible are being urged to contact their GP, use the NHS App or National Booking Service, visit a participating pharmacy, or call 119. School-aged children will be offered the flu vaccine through school vaccination programmes, with a catch-up option at community pharmacies from 1 December for anyone who misses out.
For now, the message from NHS bosses up and down the country is simple: don’t wait until you’re invited, and don’t leave it too late in the winter for the jab to take full effect.
