We have done more than ever to prepare for winter this year with the development and better testing of winter plans. This includes surge capacity and escalation plans for urgent and emergency care.

The flu vaccination programme began on 1 September 2025 for children and pregnant women. Adults aged over 65 years old, those with long term health conditions, and frontline health and social care workers will start from 1 October 2025.

Further details of the plans for this year, including actions to reduce the effects of flu on demand for services, are set out in the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/

On 16 September, the Secretary of State addressed a gathering of Chief Executives and undertook a joint visit with the NHS England Chief Executive to set out how winter preparations were being strengthened. A further meeting with Chief Executives on 3 November also focused on winter planning.

The Department works closely with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England to improve vaccination uptake. In Leicester, NHS England has advised that flu vaccination uptake has increased compared with last winter, with notable improvement in school‑age flu vaccination.

Across the East Midlands, NHS England has advised that there has been an increase in uptake compared to this time last year for most cohorts, notably within two and three year olds and frontline healthcare worker cohorts, though lower uptake has been seen in over 65 year olds and care home cohorts.

This year, NHS England has introduced, for the first time, an expansion to the two to three-year-old flu offer with appointments available via community pharmacy sites to support easier access.

NHS England has been working closely with local integrated care boards (ICBs) and wider partners including acute and community hospitals, community pharmacies, and general practices, to take an integrated approach to improving influenza vaccination uptake across all eligible groups.

Local ICBs are working together with community leaders and local partners to ensure that information is shared within communities about how, when, and where people can get vaccinated.

For England, the UK Health Security Agency publishes monthly provisional vaccine uptake data for frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) from November to March. The most recent monthly data was published on 18 December 2025 and includes all vaccinations given between 1 September to 30 November 2025. For the 2025 to 2026, and 2024 to 2025 seasons HCWs have been eligible from 1 and 3 October respectively, rather than 1 September as in previous seasons. Data is therefore not comparable with seasons prior to 2024 to 2025.

Vaccine uptake data, both percentages and numbers vaccinated, is given at a national, regional, and trust level, with data by staff groups, as percentages, also given. For previous seasons the available data by staff group varies and some previous seasons have numbers vaccinated available. The table attached shows the seasonal influenza vaccine uptake amongst frontline HCWs in National Health Service trusts in England, at a national and staff group level, for vaccinations given between 1 September, where applicable, and 30 November, for the 2020 to 2026 seasons. The numbers vaccinated are based on response rates from NHS trusts and are not extrapolated to represent 100% of the data.

Final end of season vaccine uptake data is published in the annual reports in late spring and include data on staff groups. Annual reports include national level comparative data from 19 previous seasons.

Flu arrived earlier than usual this year, with increases first seen in children and young people. Despite the flu vaccination programme in schools getting off to a strong start in the autumn, with 4 million children vaccinated by early January—an improvement on last year’s figures—attendance levels have been impacted, and the data does show high illness-related absence.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of flu vaccination levels on rates of school absence in autumn 2025.

I thank my hon. Friend for her hard work for the people of Worthing West. I agree entirely about the importance of schools starting the vaccination programme as early as possible, and I want to reassure her that the Department is working closely with our colleagues at the Department of Health and Social Care, so that next year we can get under way as quickly as possible and in as many schools as possible.

As flu circulation in children normally starts before adults, and protection through the vaccine lasts much longer in children, the children’s programme should be under way across schools as early as possible from September 1. In my constituency of Worthing West, some schools were vaccinating children in the final weeks before Christmas last year. Will the Minister therefore undertake to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to review the timeliness of flu vaccinations in all schools, and to ensure that they are given as early as possible in the upcoming 2026-27 winter season?

The hon. Member will be pleased to know that I will be meeting with the Minister he mentioned later this week on a visit to Northern Ireland, and I will be happy to discuss this matter with him.

In Northern Ireland there is only a 52% uptake in flu vaccinations. There are two reasons for that: first, parents want to be sure that it is okay and safe for their children; and secondly, schools sometimes show reluctance to let it happen. Will the Minister share the policy that the hon. Member for Worthing West (Dr Cooper) just outlined with the relevant Minister in Northern Ireland, Paul Givan, to ensure that we can do better in Northern Ireland?

The supply and distribution of flu vaccines for the majority of NHS England’s flu programme is managed by individual providers. NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) work with the pharmaceutical sector to support adequate supply, understand provider ordering, and signpost providers to the continued availability of stock towards the end of the season.

There is currently good availability of flu vaccines in Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes. Local practices and pharmacies have not reported any significant disruption to supply or distribution. NHS England regional teams monitor availability of appointments and stock levels, and are working with community pharmacies, general practices, and other providers to identify and escalate any providers that need further support with supply, which the NHS England Regional Vaccination Operations Cell will assist with.

For the children’s flu programme, the UKHSA centrally procures and manages the supply of all vaccines to ensure that eligible children aged under 18 years old who present for vaccination can be offered an appropriate vaccine. Supply remains available throughout the entire flu season. Flu vaccines for children are made available to order via the UKHSA’s online ordering platform ImmForm. General practices are able to place weekly orders and receive weekly deliveries of children’s flu vaccines from the UKHSA. School immunisation teams are able to place orders and receive deliveries up to twice per week.

In December 2025, an average of 2,888 hospital beds were occupied by patients with flu across all acute settings, including both General and Acute and Critical Care beds.

These figures are published in the NHS England Winter Situation Reports, which are available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/uec-sitrep/urgent-and-emergency-care-daily-situation-reports-2025-26/

For England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes provisional vaccine uptake data throughout the flu season. Weekly national level data for general practice (GP) patients is available from October to January, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season

Monthly national and regional level data for GP patients, school-aged children, and frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) is available from October to January. The latest monthly data for the 2025 to 2026 season includes all vaccinations given between 1 September to 30 November 2025, and is avaiable at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figures

Up to 4 January 2026, over 18 million people eligible for the national programme had been vaccinated so far this season.

For England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes provisional vaccine uptake data throughout the flu season.

Monthly regional level data for general practice patients, including two- and three-year-olds and school-aged children, is available throughout the season. The following table shows the provisional vaccine uptake for two- and three-year-olds in England, by region, for the 2025 to 2026 season:

In addition, the following table shows the provisional vaccine uptake for school-aged children in England, by region:

Providers are expected to deliver a 100% offer to eligible groups. They should ensure they make firm plans to equal or improve uptake rates in 2025 to 2026, particularly in those cohorts where uptake has been lower.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with flu vaccine manufacturers and suppliers to maintain high level oversight of the overall United Kingdom supply of flu vaccine for adults. This enables early identification and mitigation of potential risks to programme delivery, such as constraints in dose availability or delays to deliveries.

The UKHSA procures the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine and the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), which is the primary vaccine used in the children’s flu programme, on a UK wide basis. As such, the UKHSA liaises regularly with all devolved nations, including the Scottish administration, on procurement activities and supply arrangements for these vaccines.

Both the RSV vaccine and LAIV are available for Scottish Health Boards to order via the UKHSA’s online ordering platform, ImmForm, ensuring consistent access across the UK.

Ensuring timely and reliable access to flu and RSV vaccines is a key part of reducing the burden of respiratory illness over the winter period, helping to limit avoidable hospital admissions and support health systems, including those in devolved administrations, in managing winter pressures.

Eligibility for a free National Health Service flu vaccine is guided, each year, by advice and recommendations from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI keeps all vaccination programmes under review.

The aim of the flu vaccination programme is to protect those most at risk from serious illness and hospitalisation. Those eligible to receive a free flu vaccine on the NHS this autumn and winter are:

• pregnant women;
• all children aged two or three years old;
• children with certain long-term health conditions, aged six months to less than 18 years old;
• 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 six months to under 18 years old;
• everyone aged 65 years old and over;
• individuals aged 18 to under 65 years old with certain long-term health conditions;
• care home residents;
• carers in receipt of carer's allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person; and
• those living with people who are immunocompromised.

Individuals, such as teachers, teaching assistants and school workers, who meet these criteria are eligible for a free NHS flu vaccine. Frontline health and social care workers can access the flu vaccine through their employer.

Anyone who is unsure about their eligibility can consult their general practitioner, practice nurse, or pharmacist. Pregnant women can also consult their midwife. The NHS website contains further information on eligibility, and is avaiable at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/flu-vaccine/

For England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes provisional vaccine uptake data throughout the flu season. Weekly national level data for general practice (GP) patients is available from October to January, at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season

Monthly national and regional level data for GP patients, school-aged children, and frontline healthcare workers is available from October to January. The first monthly data for the 2025 to 2026 season includes all vaccinations given between 1 September to 31 October 2025, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figures

Compared with the equivalent time period last season, from 2024 to 2025, influenza vaccine uptake is higher in two and three year olds, school-aged children, pregnant women, and frontline healthcare workers, and for those who are aged 65 years old and over and those in clinical at-risk groups, uptake is comparable, with a less than a 1% difference.

Final end of season data is published in the annual reports in late spring, with data available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figures

Annual reports contain final end of season data from multiple previous seasons.