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Home > National services > Seasonal Vaccination Services (COVID-19 & Adult Flu)

Seasonal Vaccination Services (COVID-19 & Adult Flu)

Summary for LLR Pharmacy Teams

From 1 April 2026, the service will initially support the Spring 2026 COVID-19 vaccination campaign for eligible cohorts.
Later in 2026, pharmacy owners will be able to provide COVID-19 + adult flu, or adult flu only, for the Autumn/Winter 2026/27 season.

Aims of the service

  • Protect people at highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and/or flu
  • Improve uptake and convenience by increasing access through community pharmacy
  • Support co-administration where appropriate and reduce winter pressures on the NHS

Key dates and campaigns

Spring 2026 COVID-19 campaign

  • Vaccinations start: 13 April 2026
  • Campaign ends: 30 June 2026
  • Priority: care homes for older adults and eligible housebound patients

Autumn/Winter 2026/27 season

  • Start dates will be confirmed via the annual flu letter later in the year.

Eligible cohorts (Spring 2026 COVID-19)

Pharmacies must have processes to confirm eligibility before vaccinating.

Eligible cohorts for Spring 2026 COVID-19:

  • Adults aged 75+
  • Residents in care homes for older adults
  • People aged 6 months+ who are immunosuppressed (per Green Book guidance)

Vaccinating outside the eligible cohorts is not authorised, and payment will not be made.

Signing up / registration (important deadlines)

If providing COVID-19 + adult flu

  • To receive COVID vaccine supply for the start of Spring 2026, register by:11:59pm on 2 February 2026
  • Registration is via the electronic registration form (available until 31 March 2026).
  • From 1 April 2026, registration moves to MYS (Manage Your Service).
  • If already registered for Spring and not deregistered, you will be automatically registered on MYS for Autumn/Winter.

Key future deadlines:

  • Register via MYS by 31 July 2026 to receive COVID supply ahead of Autumn start (once confirmed)
  • Final deadline for COVID registration for 2026/27: 30 November 2026

If providing adult flu only

  • Register via MYS from 1 April 2026
  • Deadline to register for 2026/27 season: 30 November 2026

Do not vaccinate before registration, vaccines given before registering will not be paid.

What you must have in place before providing the service

  • Compliance with Essential Services and CPCF clinical governance
  • Staff are trained and competent (per service specification)
  • Enhanced DBS required for:
    • COVID vaccination for patients under 18, and/or
    • Vaccinations delivered in a patient’s home
  • A vaccination SOP covering (as a minimum): roles/training, cold chain, needle-stick injuries, escalation/signposting, ADR management, record keeping, and clinical waste disposal
  • Suitable premises/consultation room (DSP pharmacies are excluded from the room requirement)
  • Appropriate clinical waste disposal arrangements
  • Pharmacy professional checklist

Premises requirements

Pharmacies must have a consultation room that meets the NHS Terms of Service requirements to provide vaccinations.

Distance selling premises (DSP) pharmacies are exempt from this requirement, as they cannot provide face-to-face services on pharmacy premises.

  • Vaccinations should take place in the consultation room whenever the patient requests this.
  • Vaccinations may also be delivered in another suitable area of the pharmacy where:
    • infection prevention and control standards can be maintained; and
    • patient confidentiality and dignity are protected.

Pharmacy owners must ensure appropriate disposal of clinical waste and any PPE used during vaccinations, including having a suitable clinical waste contract in place for the premises.

Booking, systems and ordering

The National Booking Service (NBS) will be used by patients to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments. It may also be used to book adult flu vaccinations, where this functionality has been enabled by the pharmacy owner.

Pharmacy owners providing COVID-19 vaccinations must:

  • Offer appointments via NBS; and
  • Comply with the minimum publication standards set out in the service specification.

These include:

  • Ensuring accurate information is published and appointment/clinic times are uploaded promptly to enable patient bookings;
  • Listing at least 100 appointments in the first month following the COVID-19 service commencement date; and
  • Listing at least 50 appointments per month thereafter.

Failure to comply with NBS requirements may result in NHS England choosing to pause, reduce, or withdraw COVID-19 vaccine supply.

Pharmacy owners should ensure vaccination appointments are offered at varied times across the pharmacy’s full opening hours, including (where applicable) late afternoons and Saturdays, to maximise access and uptake among eligible cohorts.

Walk-in clinics and off-site provision

  • Pharmacies must offer advertised walk-in clinics via the NHS Pharmacy Services Finder during commissioned periods.
  • Vaccinations may be delivered off-site (e.g., homes/community venues) with NHS England regional vaccinations team consent.
  • Off-site provision must consider: oversight, setting suitability, support staff, clinical waste transport/disposal, cold chain, professional standards, indemnity.
  • For further information about offsite service provision click HERE

Key documents