The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has highlighted that almost half of eligible primary-school aged children did not receive a influenza vaccine last year, as roll out of vaccines in schools starts ahead of this winter.
Last winter (2025-26) just 55.5% of primary school children - around 2.5 million out of a total of the 4.5 million eligible - received a influenza vaccine. While uptake in all primary school-aged children, reception to year 6, was slightly up on the previous winter (54.5% for 2024-25), it was well below levels (over 60%) seen before the COVID-19 pandemic (winter of 2019 -20).
The youngest primary school aged children have been eligible for a nose-spray flu vaccine since the 2014 to 2015 season. This expanded to all primary school-aged children by the 2019 to 2020 season. Since the peak in 2020-21 (62.5%), uptake has been lower for the past several years.
Vaccination offers the best protection against flu and usually has a better immune response in children, with evidence from last year’s flu season showing strong vaccine effectiveness for school aged children, aged 2 to 17 years. The vaccine is estimated to have prevented:
- 52% of children from having to visit their GP; and
- 68% from being hospitalised
UKHSA is reminding parents of the importance of vaccination and helping to protect their children against flu; and to ensure consent forms are returned in good time so their children do not miss out when school immunisation teams visit.
Children’s flu vaccinations will start in some schools from this week (Monday 7 September) and local immunisation teams will move from school to school across their region with all schools expected to have been offered sessions by late November.
Flu can be very serious for some younger children and puts many thousands in hospital every year. Younger children, aged 2 and 3 years, are also able to receive a flu vaccine from their GP surgery.
Dr Suzanna McDonald, Flu Programme Lead at the UKHSA said: “Younger children are at higher risk of developing complications from flu and being hospitalised. Ensuring children are vaccinated against flu with a painless and easy nose spray, not only helps to protect them, but also helps stop them spreading it into the wider community and to those who may be even more vulnerable, such as younger siblings and grandparents.
"That is why we are so concerned that flu vaccine uptake among children in primary schools is too low and many thousands of children are unprotected. It’s vital we turn this around. This will take a concerted effort – with parents returning consent forms in good time; and our school vaccinations teams and head teachers working together to deliver the vaccine programme – helping protect children and give them the best start to thrive in school.”