Flu, COVID and RSV Vaccines This Autumn: Who Is Eligible in 2026, and When to Book

If you live in England and you are 65 or over, pregnant, or have a long-term health condition, you can get a free NHS flu vaccine now: the programme for most adults opened on 1 October 2026. If you are 75 or over, or have a weakened immune system, you can also get a free COVID-19 vaccine, which runs until 31 January 2027. And if you are 75 or over and have never had the RSV vaccine, you can get that too, at any time of year.

This guide sets out who qualifies for each vaccine this winter, the dates that matter, which ones you can have at the same appointment, and the reminders worth setting so the jabs actually happen in October and November rather than "sometime this winter".

This is general information from the NHS and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), current in October 2026, and it describes the programme in England. It is not medical advice: your GP surgery or pharmacist can confirm what applies to you.

Autumn 2026 vaccines at a glance (England)

Vaccine	Who can get it free	When	Last date
Flu	65 or over (including if you turn 65 by 31 March 2027), 18 to 64 with certain health conditions, pregnant, care home residents, carers, people who live with someone with a weakened immune system	From 1 October 2026 (pregnant women and children from 1 September)	31 March 2027 (online booking closes 30 March)
COVID-19	75 or over (including if you turn 75 by 31 January 2027), care home residents for older adults, people aged 6 months and over with a weakened immune system	Appointments from 1 October 2026	31 January 2027 (online booking closes 30 January)
RSV	75 or over, 65 to 74 with a weakened immune system or long-term lung condition, from 28 weeks pregnant, care home residents	All year round; older adults need only 1 dose	No seasonal deadline

Who can get the free flu vaccine this year?

The NHS says you can get the free flu vaccine if you:

• are aged 65 or over, "including those who will be 65 by 31 March 2027"
• are aged 18 to 64 and have certain long-term health conditions
• are pregnant (at any stage of pregnancy)
• live in a care home
• are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive Carer's Allowance
• live with someone who has a weakened immune system
• are aged 16 or over and sleeping rough or staying in a homeless hostel or night shelter (new for 2026)

The health conditions that count include asthma that needs a steroid inhaler or tablets, COPD, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, some neurological conditions such as Parkinson's, a learning disability, a weakened immune system, problems with your spleen, and a BMI of 40 or above. If you are not sure, the NHS advice is to ask your GP surgery or specialist.

Frontline health and social care workers usually get their flu vaccine through their employer.

If you are 50 to 64 and healthy, you are not on the NHS list in England this year. You may be able to pay for a flu vaccine at a pharmacy instead.

Children

Children's flu vaccines started earlier, on 1 September. Children aged 2 or 3 on 31 August 2026 are vaccinated at the GP surgery (and, from 1 October, at some pharmacies). School-aged children from Reception to Year 11 are vaccinated at school, usually with a nasal spray, and UKHSA says vaccination in schools should be finished by Friday 11 December 2026. If your child misses the school session, some pharmacies will offer catch-up vaccinations from 1 December.

Who can get the COVID-19 vaccine this autumn?

The autumn COVID-19 vaccine, sometimes still called the "autumn booster", is offered to a much smaller group than flu. According to UKHSA, for autumn 2026 it is:

• adults aged 75 and over (the NHS includes anyone who will turn 75 by 31 January 2027)
• residents in care homes for older adults
• people aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed

UKHSA says this eligibility is the same in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

"Immunosuppressed" has a specific meaning here. It covers, for example, people who have had an organ, bone marrow or stem cell transplant, people on chemotherapy or radiotherapy, people taking steroids for more than a month, people living with HIV, and people with blood cancers. If you are unsure, ask your GP or specialist.

The 6-month rule. UKHSA says the vaccine "should usually be offered no earlier than around 6 months after the last vaccine dose." If you had a spring COVID-19 vaccine late in the spring campaign, check the date before you book. Note the gap in your calendar so you book once enough time has passed rather than forgetting about it.

You do not need to have had a COVID-19 vaccine before to get one this autumn, and the NHS says you do not need to wait for an invitation before booking.

Who can get the RSV vaccine?

RSV is a common virus that can cause pneumonia in older adults and serious chest infections in babies. The NHS offers a free RSV vaccine if you:

• are aged 75 or over
• are aged 65 to 74 and have a weakened immune system or a long-term lung condition (this does not include asthma that is under control)
• live in a care home for older adults
• are 28 weeks pregnant or more (recommended in every pregnancy, to protect the baby after birth)

Unlike flu and COVID-19 vaccines, the RSV vaccine is given all year round. Older adults need just one dose. If you are 75 or over, your GP surgery should contact you by letter, text, phone call or email; some pharmacies in Essex and Suffolk, Lancashire and Merseyside, Leicestershire and the West Midlands, and London also offer it.

If you are eligible and have never had it, there is no reason to leave it until next year.

Can I have the flu and COVID-19 jabs at the same time?

Yes. The NHS says that in winter "you can have the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as the flu vaccine or RSV vaccine."

The exception is RSV and flu for older adults. The NHS says the RSV vaccine "is not usually given at the same appointment as flu vaccines in older adults," though a doctor or nurse can give them together if needed. So if you are 75 or over and need all three, expect two appointments: for example, flu and COVID-19 together, then RSV separately (or the other way round).

Why not wait until December?

The flu programme for most adults now starts in October rather than September so that protection is high when flu peaks, which UKHSA says is typically in December or January. But waiting too long has its own risk:

• The flu vaccine takes up to 14 days to work, according to the NHS.
• Last winter's main flu strain started circulating around five weeks earlier than usual, in mid-October 2025.
• UKHSA's guidance to vaccinators says most flu vaccinations should be done by the end of November.

The practical target: book in October, and be vaccinated by the end of November.

How to book

If you are eligible for flu or COVID-19 vaccines, you can:

• book online through the NHS website or the NHS App
• find a pharmacy that offers free NHS vaccinations
• contact your GP surgery
• for COVID-19, go to a walk-in vaccination site

If you are pregnant, you may be able to get vaccinated through your maternity service. For RSV, wait for your GP surgery to contact you or check whether a pharmacy near you offers it.

If you are unwell with a high temperature, wait until you feel better before having any of these vaccines. A minor cold is not a reason to delay.

The reminder plan for this autumn

The difficulty is usually not deciding to get vaccinated. It is the booking: the intention is there in September, and then it is January. These are the reminders worth setting:

When	Reminder
This week	Check which of the three vaccines you (and anyone you care for) are eligible for.
As soon as possible in October	Book the flu jab, and the COVID-19 jab if eligible, ideally at the same appointment.
The day before the appointment	Appointment reminder with the time and place.
If you had a spring COVID-19 jab	A reminder 6 months after that date to book the autumn dose.
Late November	Last check: is everyone in the family vaccinated?
Early December	For parents: has your child had the school flu vaccine? If not, book a catch-up.
Mid-January	Last chance for COVID-19 (closes 31 January).
Any time, if 75 or over	Book RSV if you have never had it.

If you are booking for a parent

If your parent is 75 or over, they are probably eligible for all three vaccines: flu, COVID-19 and RSV. That means two or three appointments across the autumn, each with its own date, time and place. They are easy to lose track of, especially if the invitation came by text message to a phone your parent rarely checks.

Book the appointments with them, put the dates in your own calendar, and set a reminder for the day before so you can check in.

How ReminderIt can help

ReminderIt calls your phone at the time you choose and reads your reminder out in a natural voice: for example, "Your flu and COVID jab is tomorrow at 10:40 at the pharmacy on the High Street." If you miss the call, you get the reminder on WhatsApp instead.

You can set a reminder by sending a WhatsApp message, such as "Call me tomorrow at 9am to book my flu jab", or by sending a voice note or a photo of your appointment letter, or on the website. There is no app to install. You can also set reminders that call a parent's phone directly; they confirm their number with a short verification call first.

There is a 7-day free trial with 7 reminder calls (3 if your number is in a country where calls cost more). After that it is one plan: $7 a month (₹299 a month in India).

The short answer

In England, the free NHS flu vaccine is available from 1 October 2026 to people aged 65 and over (including those turning 65 by 31 March 2027), adults with certain health conditions, pregnant women, carers and care home residents. The free COVID-19 vaccine is for people aged 75 and over (including those turning 75 by 31 January 2027), care home residents and people with a weakened immune system, and runs until 31 January 2027. The RSV vaccine is offered all year round to people aged 75 and over and some 65 to 74 year olds. You can have flu and COVID-19 jabs together; older adults usually have RSV at a separate appointment. Book in October and aim to be vaccinated by the end of November, before flu usually peaks.

Sources: NHS, Flu vaccine; NHS, COVID-19 vaccine; NHS, RSV vaccine; UKHSA, Your guide to who's eligible for the autumn 2026 flu vaccine; UKHSA, Who's eligible for the 2026 COVID-19 vaccine, or 'Autumn Booster'?; UKHSA, Vaccine update: issue 375, Flu Special 2026.