Eligibility for Flu and Covid Vaccines in the UK for 2024-2025

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provides guidance on who is eligible for flu and Covid-19 vaccines in the UK. This year, various groups are recommended for vaccination, including pregnant women, children, and adults in specific age groups or with certain health conditions. The eligibility criteria are detailed below.

Key Takeaways:

Pregnant women, and all children aged two or three years on August 31, 2024, are eligible for a flu vaccine from September 1.
Primary school-aged children (from Reception to Year 6) and secondary school-aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11) are also eligible for a flu vaccine this year.
From October 3, the following groups become eligible for a flu vaccine: those aged 65 years and over, those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups, those in long-stay residential care homes, carers in receipt of carer's allowance, frontline workers in a social care setting, and individuals with certain health conditions.
The autumn Covid booster is available for residents in a care home for older adults, all adults aged 65 years and over, and frontline health and social care workers and staff in care homes for older adults.
Those in clinical risk groups, as defined by the Green Book, are eligible for the flu vaccine, including those with certain medical conditions.
Close contacts of immunocompromised individuals and frontline workers in social care settings are also eligible for the flu vaccine.

Statistics:

The flu vaccine is available for approximately 5.5 million children in the UK.
Over 8 million adults in the UK are eligible for the flu vaccine, including those aged 65 years and over.
The autumn Covid booster is available for over 3.5 million individuals, including frontline health and social care workers.

Sources:

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (2024)
The Green Book (Department of Health and Social Care, 2022)