With the end of summer in sight, flu season is upon us and the NHS in Lincolnshire is asking eligible people across the county to have their flu vaccination, which is recommended for those people most at risk of serious complications if they get flu.
Vaccination offers the best protection against flu
“Flu is an unpredictable but recurring pressure that we face every winter and vaccination offers the best protection against flu,” explains Kerrie Linger, Assistant Locality Lead – Vaccination Team, NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board. “It can be an unpleasant illness and has the potential to cause serious complications.”
Who is eligible?
Children
From the beginning of September, pregnant women, children aged 2 or 3 years (on 31 August 2025), year 7 to year 11 primary school aged children, and all children in clinical risk groups from 6 months to less than 18 years old will be eligible for a flu vaccination.
Vaccinating your child also helps to protect family and friends, including those who might be vulnerable to flu, by preventing the spread of flu. School-aged children will typically have the flu vaccination at school, subject to consent from their parent or guardian, whilst 2-3 year olds usually have their flu vaccination at a GP surgery or selected local pharmacies.
“Most children will be able to have a nasal spray vaccine rather than an injection and this is a quick and painless way for them to get vaccinated. It’s worth remembering that, since the type of flu can vary each winter, even if your child was vaccinated last year it’s recommended to have it again this year, otherwise they won’t be protected,” adds Kerrie
Pregnant women
Pregnant women are also being urged to have the flu vaccination from September onwards, enabling vital protection to be passed onto their baby. They can do this at their GP surgery, a local pharmacy or through their hospital’s maternity service.
“Having the flu vaccination whilst you are pregnant will mean that, as well as you being protected against flu, protection from the vaccine is passed to your baby giving it protection for the first few months of its life when it is particularly at risk from flu,” explains Kerrie. “It is safe to have a flu vaccination during any stage of pregnancy, from the first few weeks up until you go into labour.”
Eligible adults
From the beginning of October, all other eligible adults will be able to get their flu vaccination. This includes those aged 65 years and over, those aged 16 to under 65 in clinical risk groups, people in long-stay residential care homes, carers in receipt of carer’s allowance/those who the main carer of an elderly or disabled person, close contacts of immunocompromised individuals, and all frontline health and social care workers. Eligible people can have their flu vaccination at a GP surgery or local pharmacy.
Find out more
You can find out more information about the flu vaccination here Flu vaccine – NHS and specific advice about the children’s flu vaccination here Children’s flu vaccine – NHS. You can also visit our ‘Grab a Jab’ page.