David Saunders
The flu vaccine is back in the spotlight as the NHS gears up for another record-breaking autumn rollout, with health chiefs aiming to protect more than 35 million people across the UK. Yet despite years of public messaging, research shows that one in five adults still doesn’t know whether they’re eligible for a flu vaccine—an oversight that could put millions at needless risk this winter.
It’s a frustratingly familiar pattern. After the unusually low-flu seasons during the pandemic years flattened natural immunity, 2025’s flu landscape looks very different. The Royal College of General Practitioners reported that flu cases were 95% lower in the season leading into 2021. Fast-forward to today, and clinicians are still dealing with the consequences: weakened population immunity and a version of the virus that, like an old rival returning from a long sabbatical, feels intent on making up for lost time.
And the public is still clogging phone lines to figure out the basics. According to myGP’s national study, two in five people say they plan to ring their GP reception just to ask how to book the flu vaccine—never mind that many of those reception desks are already running on fumes.
Add rising patient volumes, winter pressures, and a health service still recovering from the post-pandemic backlog, and the margins look dangerously thin.
Dr Yasmin Razak, GP Partner at Golborne Medical and Medical Advisor to myGP, is blunt about the stakes: Recent concerns in the press around the flu jab’s effectiveness simply highlight the importance of getting the vaccine.
Life is unpredictable and we have a collective duty to protect one another. A less effective vaccine means a higher uptake is necessary to support those who are either at risk or not eligible for a flu vaccine. I’m urging people not to be complacent and gamble their health.
It’s likely someone you know has only avoided a hospital stay or worse thanks to a flu vaccination. While there is annual data on those who have died from the flu, countless people will have averted a similar fate because they, and those around them, received their annual jab.
Full population coverage is needed to protect the most vulnerable groups in our society and the most effective way to achieve this is by getting vaccinated.
You should never underestimate the role clear public communication plays in the roll out of health campaigns like the annual flu vaccination.
Eligibility in 2021 encompasses a much wider group than that of 2019. In fact, the flu jab target for this winter is almost double that of last year.
There needs to be clear communication and simple booking options to ensure eligible members of the public don’t miss out. I’ve noticed in my patients that they prefer being contacted by a trusted and informative booking system.
myGP is simple, easy to access and incredibly NHS friendly – a good solution for our patients to book their essential vaccinations.
Using technology like myGP will help us better prepare for this year’s unprecedented flu season.’**
Even four years on, her message still rings true in 2025. The public’s appetite for simple, streamlined booking hasn’t changed, and digital tools like myGP remain central to keeping the system moving.
Tobias Alpsten, CEO at myGP, adds: We have supported the NHS over the last 14 years in managing their annual flu vaccination programmes.
GP practices can use our SMS communications to share information while patients can book their vaccination at the touch of a button through our app.
We know just how important communication can be during times of uncertainty. Our team worked hand in glove with the NHS throughout COVID to provide secure, precise messaging and this flu season is no different.
It’s key that all those who are eligible have clear instructions on how to schedule their flu vaccination.’**
Flu and Covid: An Ongoing Tangle
Even as over-50s wait for their latest Covid booster guidance, new evidence continues to strengthen the case for flu vaccination. A study from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine showed that the flu vaccine may help guard against complications linked to Covid-19—including sepsis, stroke, emergency visits, and ICU stays.
The protective effect isn’t absolute, but it is striking. Those vaccinated against flu were up to 58% less likely to have a stroke and up to 45% less likely to develop sepsis. The benefit applied even to people who were fully vaccinated against Covid-19, thanks to the gaps still present in SARS-CoV-2 immunity.
If nothing else, the findings reinforce a simple truth: winter viruses love company, and humans shouldn’t give them the pleasure.
Who is Eligible
NHS flu jab guidance.
- Adults aged 50+
- Children aged 2–3 on 31 August 2021
- Primary school children
- Children in Years 7–11
- Close contacts of the immunocompromised
- Frontline health and social care staff
- Pregnant women
- Those aged 6 months–49 in clinical risk groups
- Unpaid carers
Flu vs Covid: A Case Study In Confusion
Symptoms still trip people up. Many Brits assume a negative Covid test means they’re in the clear, but co-infection is the real curveball. A major study in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that people infected with both flu and Covid-19 were almost twice as likely to die as those who only had Covid.
Dr Razak warns that this confusion isn’t going anywhere: ‘As flu and COVID have a number of similar symptoms, it can be difficult for people to tell which illness they have.
Flu can be very serious for those in at-risk groups, and I sincerely hope the last 18 months has taught us the importance of not only getting vaccinated but also keeping our space and staying away from others if feeling unwell.
If we can apply this logic to flu, and everyone who is eligible gets their vaccine, there is every hope that we can reduce the strain on the NHS this winter’
The Bottom Line
As the health service braces for another busy season, the message is simple: if you’re eligible, get the jab. And if you’re unsure, check before the virus does the deciding for you.
