Flu vaccination programme

Flu is a virus that can lead to serious illnesses and death. There are outbreaks most winters and the flu virus is constantly changing. Each year, flu vaccines are changed to match the flu viruses circulating.

It is important those eligible take up their offer of their flu vaccination to:

• help protect individuals
• protect our communities
• help our health and care services 

Eligibility for the 2023 to 2024 flu vaccination programme

This autumn and winter, we are offering the flu vaccine to:

• children aged two and three years on 31 August 2023
• children in primary school from reception class to year 6 (inclusive) 
• children in secondary school from year 7 to year 11 (inclusive)
• people aged six months to 64 years in clinical risk groups
• people aged 65 years and older (age on 31 March 2024)
• all adult residents in Welsh prisons residents 
• pregnant women 
• carers 
• people with a learning disability 
• staff in nursing homes and care homes with regular client contact 
• staff providing domiciliary care
• staff providing frontline NHS/Primary care services 
• healthcare workers (including healthcare students) with direct patient contact

In addition, individuals experiencing homelessness will also be an eligible group in 
2023-24. 

The Welsh Health Circular (WHC/2022/031) issued on 8 December 2022, noted that further assessment was needed to determine whether to include otherwise healthy 50-64 year-olds in the programme for 2023-24. The Welsh Government has decided this group will not form part of the eligible cohort for 2023-24, with the programme reverting to the age eligibility which was applied before the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, those in a clinical risk group aged between 50 and 64 years will be eligible for a flu vaccination as advised by the JCVI.

If you are an adult in a risk group, are pregnant, or are aged 65 or over, you can get your flu vaccine at your GP surgery or at some community pharmacies. If you work in health or social care, ask your employer where to get your vaccine.

Care home staff and domiciliary carers should talk to their community pharmacy about getting their flu vaccine.

Your GP surgery or school nurse will contact children who are eligible for a flu vaccine. If you think your child might have missed their vaccine, contact the school nurse or GP surgery.

Some vulnerable groups will be offered both flu and COVID-19 vaccines during the same appointment. Where this is not possible, we will ensure you are aware of where and how to get both these vaccines.

You can find more information about the flu vaccine on the Public Health Wales website.