COVID-19 & Flu Vaccines 2025

 

The COVID-19 and flu vaccine autumn/winter campaign 2025 will begin on 1st October 2025. 

This may be later than you have had the vaccines before, but it means you’ll have the best protection when COVID-19 and flu is most widespread.

If you are registered at a Central Camden PCN GP practice and are eligible for a COVID-19 and/or flu vaccine you will receive a text from w/c 29th September 2025 inviting you to book your vaccination appointment.

The text booking link will be unique to you and will start with ‘https://accurx.nhs.uk.’

Please see the Accurx website for a step-by-step guide on how to book your vaccination appointment online using the booking link.  

The Bloomsbury Vaccination Hub (The Bloomsbury Surgery, 1 Handel Street, WC1N 1PD) will be administering COVID-19 and flu vaccines on Saturday’s between 9.30am to 1.30pm from Saturday 4th October 2025.

If you are unable to access the booking link on your phone, please contact your GP practice or 119 to book your vaccination appointment.

If you are aged 18 or over, you can also book a flu vaccination appointment at a pharmacy online or in the NHS App.

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COVID-19 Vaccine

The COVID-19 vaccine helps protect against COVID-19, which can be a serious or life-threatening illness. It's offered on the NHS to people at increased risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19.

What the COVID-19 vaccine is for

The COVID-19 vaccination is an important part of protecting yourself if you're at increased risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19.

The COVID-19 vaccines are offered because viruses change and protection fades over time. It's important to top up your protection if you're eligible.

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine can:

  • help reduce your risk of getting severe symptoms
  • help you recover more quickly if you catch COVID-19
  • help reduce your risk of having to go to hospital or dying from COVID-19
  • protect against different types of COVID-19 virus

You may still get or spread COVID-19 even if you have a vaccine, so it's important to follow advice about how to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19.

Who should have the COVID-19 vaccine?

The COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people at increased risk from COVID-19.

People eligible for a booster COVID-19 vaccine from 1st October 2025 are those: 

  • Aged 75 or over (including those who will be 75 by 31st January 2026)
  • Aged 6 months to 74 years and have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment
  • Living in a long-stay residential care home

You can have the booster COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as the flu vaccine. If you're eligible for an RSV vaccine, it's more effective to have it on a different day to your COVID-19 and flu vaccines.

Flu Vaccine

The flu vaccine helps protect against flu, which can be a serious or life-threatening illness. It’s offered on the NHS every year from autumn to people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu.

Who should have the flu vaccine?

The flu vaccine is recommended for people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu.

Most eligible adults will be able to get the flu vaccine from 1st October 2025.

People eligible for a free NHS flu vaccine from 1st October 2025 are those:

  • Aged 65 or over
  • Aged 18 years to under 65 years in a clinical risk group 
  • Pregnant
  • Living in a long-stay residential care home
  • Main carer for an older or disabled person, or in receipt of a carer’s allowance
  • Living with someone who has a weakened immune system
  • Frontline health and social care workers, and staff in care homes for older adults 

The flu vaccine in pregnancy 

It's recommended that all pregnant women have the flu vaccine, whatever stage of pregnancy they are at. A flu jab will help protect both you and your baby.

Pregnancy changes how the body responds to infections such as flu.

There is good evidence that pregnant women have a higher chance of developing complications if they get flu, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy.

Young babies also have a higher risk of getting seriously ill if they get flu. Having flu increases the chances of pregnant women and their babies needing intensive care.

One of the most common complications of flu is bronchitis, a chest infection that can become serious and develop into pneumonia.

If you have flu while you're pregnant, it could cause your baby to be born prematurely or have a low birthweight, and may even lead to stillbirth or death.

Studies have shown that it's safe to have a flu vaccine during any stage of pregnancy, from the first few weeks up until you go into labour.

Women who have had a flu vaccine while pregnant also pass some protection on to their babies. This lasts for the first few months after they're born, when they're particularly at risk from flu. It's safe to breastfeed if you had the flu vaccine while pregnant.

Children’s flu vaccine

Flu can be very unpleasant for children and can sometimes cause serious problems, such as pneumonia.

Each winter in the UK, thousands of children who do not have a health condition need hospital care because of flu. Children can catch and spread flu easily.

Vaccinating them also helps protect others who are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu, such as babies, anyone who's pregnant and older people.

It’s recommended for:

  • Children aged 6 months to 17 years in a clinical risk group
  • Children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2025 (born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2023)
  • School-aged children (Reception to Year 11)