Patient Eligibility, Contracts & Service Specifications
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The page contains relevant contractual information, services specifications, key points, bulletins and other updates relating to the 2026/27 COVID and FLU campaigns
Seasonal Flu
Updates:
Flu vaccination programme 2026 to 2027: healthcare practitioners
Supporting vaccination for SEND children and young people – GOV.UK
Information for SEND in mainstream schools
Free flu jabs for people experiencing homelessness – GOV.UK
Amendment to national flu immunisation programme 2026 to 2027 letter – GOV.UK
Key points:
From 1 September 2026:
- pregnant women
- all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2026
- primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
- secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
- all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years
- Frontline healthcare workers
From October 2026, exact start date to be confirmed by NHS England in due course:
- those aged 65 years and over
- those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the Green Book, Influenza chapter 19 )
- those in long-stay residential care homes
- carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
- close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
- frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants
NHS England » GP childhood seasonal influenza vaccination enhanced service specification
National flu immunisation programme 2026 to 2027 letter – GOV.UK
JCVI statement on influenza vaccines for 2026 to 2027 – GOV.UK
2026_27 NHS Template sub-contract for the provision of clinical services
Seasonal Vaccination Services – COVID-19 and Adult Flu – Community Pharmacy England
Covid
Updates:
Key points:
The NHS England COVID-19 enhanced service (ES) for April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, moves vaccinations to the practice level, allowing GP practices to deliver COVID-19 and adult influenza jabs. This approach aims to boost uptake, improve access, and promote co-administration, requiring practices to target eligible high-risk.
From 13th April 2026 (Spring campaign), October 2026 (exact start date to be confirmed by NHS England in due course) and Spring 2027:
- adults aged 75 years and over
- residents in a care home for older adults
- individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book)
NHS England » Flu and COVID-19 Seasonal Vaccination Programme: autumn/ winter 2025/26
JCVI statement on COVID-19 vaccination in 2025 and spring 2026 – GOV.UK
NHS England » COVID-19 vaccination site sign-up process – guidance for all suppliers
Schedule-2A-Outreach-COVID-19-vaccination-programme-1-April-2025-to-31-March-2026.pdf