Flu Season 2025/2026

Children’s flu vaccine:

The children’s flu vaccine helps protect against flu. It’s offered to children aged 2 to 3 years, school-aged children (Reception to Year 11) and children with certain long-term health conditions.

Information:

This page is about the flu vaccine for children. There’s separate information about the flu vaccine for adults and the flu jab in pregnancy.

Why children are offered the flu vaccine

Flu can be very unpleasant for children and can sometimes cause serious problems, such as pneumonia.

Each winter in the UK, thousands of children who do not have a health condition need hospital care because of flu.

Children can catch and spread flu easily. Vaccinating them also helps protect others who are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu, such as babies, anyone who’s pregnant and older people.

Who should have the children’s flu vaccine

The children’s flu vaccine is offered on the NHS every year in autumn or early winter.

It’s recommended for:

children aged 6 months to 17 years with certain long-term health conditions

children aged 2 or 3 years

school-aged children (Reception to Year 11)

For more information click here.