Social media campaign urges Brits to get vaccinated for winter

Official release

The NHS is urging millions of people eligible for a free flu vaccine to help protect themselves, their families and ease the pressure on England’s health services this winter.

Data released today (22 October 2026) shows more than 10 million flu vaccinations have been delivered since bookings first opened in August and vaccinations began in September - including 2.7 million this week.

Appointments are available for the millions more who are still eligible for their free NHS flu vaccine as the government, NHS and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) work together on new and exciting ways to encourage more people to come forward.

The government has launched a social media campaign running across Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and - for the first time - TikTok, and is also promoting a new feature on the NHS App which helps people check their eligibility and book their flu vaccination at a community pharmacy.

The manage vaccinations in schools (Mavis) programme, which streamlines school-age immunisation programmes, has also been accelerated to cover 14,000 schools this year.

In a further effort to see more kids vaccinated against the flu, later this year the government will launch the first ever catch-up programme from community pharmacies for school children who missed their vaccinations earlier in the year.

Making sure all those eligible, especially the most vulnerable, take up their flu vaccine is a key part of ensuring the health service prepares for one of our most challenging winters.

Health Minister James Frith said:

Flu is not just a bad cold. It can cause serious complications, hospital treatment and death, particularly for those most at risk including young children, pregnant women, older people and people with certain long-term conditions.

Vaccination remains one of the best defences, helping prevent serious illness and avoidable admissions.

Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS National Director for Primary Care and Community Services, said:

UKHSA estimates that flu vaccination prevented around 100,000 hospitalisations and 7,000 deaths in England in the last year.

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said:

The latest cold mortality monitoring report out today shows 2,200 deaths were associated with cold weather, which poses a serious risk to health, particularly for people who are more vulnerable because of their age, health, or living circumstances. Vaccines are a way to help protect yourself.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said:

The department is also working with key charities to support people with long-term conditions to further strengthen this vaccination drive. British Heart Foundation, Parkinson’s UK, Asthma + Lung UK, Diabetes UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, Stroke Association, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, National Kidney Federation and MS Society are the confirmed signatories to a joint open letter encouraging eligible people to get better protected.

To help drive uptake for those eligible, there are more opportunities to get a vaccine than ever before. These include:

Adults aged 65 and older, those with long-term conditions, pregnant women and those with caring roles are just some of the people who are eligible for a free NHS flu vaccination.

Those eligible can book through the NHS website or NHS App, 119, their GP or a participating walk-in pharmacy.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation, said:

Emily Holzhausen CBE, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK, said:

Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, President of the Royal College of GPs, said:

Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive at Asthma + Lung UK, said:

David Newbold, Director of Community at Parkinson’s UK, said:

Douglas Twenefour, Head of Clinical at Diabetes UK, said:

Anthony Cunliffe, Lead Medical Adviser at Macmillan Cancer Support, said:

Janet Morrison OBE, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, said:

Peter Lloyd, Senior Policy Manager at the MS Society, said:

Andrea Brown, Chief Executive, National Kidney Federation (NKF), said:

David Ramsden, Chief Executive, Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said:

John James OBE, Chief Executive, Sickle Cell Society, said:

Juliet Bouverie OBE, CEO of the Stroke Association, said:

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Age UK and Chair of the Richmond Group, said:

UK Department of Health and Social Care · Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright. Text excerpted and formatting simplified; media and third-party quotations excluded. No endorsement implied.

Source: UK Department of Health and Social Care ↗ · Updated 22 Oct 2026, 7:59 pm IST