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Flu vaccinations 2022-2023

Below you can find information on the influenza vaccination programme for 2022-2023.

This year's programme will continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of delivery of the influenza and COVID-19 vaccine programmes.

Please see the RCN guidance for mass vaccination and the RCN Immunisation resource for useful advice and guidance. See also the RCN advice on COVID-19 and on the COVID-19 vaccination. 

This information is focused on the influenza vaccine and provides authoritative resources on influenza and influenza vaccinations. 

If you are having any difficulties accessing vaccination in your frontline care role, please contact the Advice Centre. 

Influenza vaccination 2022 - 2023 

The influenza immunisation programme in the UK is based on recommendations by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), an independent expert advisory committee that advises all UK health departments on vaccination and immunisation programmes. The guidance is available in the UK via the Government's Immunisation against infectious disease document, and in Chapter 19 of 'The Green Book'. 

Vaccine types 

The following vaccine types are recommended by the JCVI for use as part of the NHS Annual Influenza Vaccination Programme. The choice of which vaccine to use advised by the JCVI, see: JCVI advice.

All influenza vaccines available in the UK for the 2022 to 2023 season contain 4 serotypes; 2 A strains and 2 B strains of influenza virus. As advised by the WHO for the 2022-2023 influenza season in the Northern Hemisphere.

The vaccines recommended by the JCVI are listed here with the ova albumen (egg protein) content where applicable and include:

  • Adjuvented Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine - (aQIV)  
  • Quadrivalent Influenza Cell-culture Vaccine - (QIVc)  
  • Quadrivalent Recombinant Influenza Vaccine - (QIVr)  
  • Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (egg based) - (QIVe)  
  • Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV) – recommended for all children and young people up to 18.  

For Scotland, the CMO letter for the influenza season 2022 2023 details the vaccines here. To note:

  • QIVr vaccine is not available for the routine influenza programme in Scotland  
  • The QIVe is available for those infants and children, 6 months to 2 years of age. The QIVe vaccine can be requested from local Vaccine Holding Centres 

Who should get what? 

Those aged 65 years and over: aQIV or QIVr in preference and QIVc (where aQIV or QIVr are not available).

Those aged 50 to 64 years and all at-risk adults, including pregnant women, aged 18 to under 65 years: QIVc or QIVr – in preference and QIVe (where QIVc or QIVr are not available).

To note, QIVr is not available in Scotland.

The annual flu vaccine is recommended for the following groups across the UK: 

  • those at particular risk of severe infection; older people, those who are immunosuppressed and those with other underlying health conditions 
  • all children aged 2 and 3 years 
  • children in primary and secondary schools (the exact age ranges for this varies across the UK countries)
  • England: All children from 2 years of age up to year 9 (those in years 10 and 11 may be offered flu vaccine later in the season subject to vaccine availability)
  • Northern Ireland: All children from 2 years of age through to secondary school year 12
  • Scotland: All children from 2 years of age through to secondary school age
  • Wales: All children from 2 years through to secondary school year 11
  • those at most risk of transmitting infection such as: all health and social care workers with direct patient/client contact  .  
  • Health and social care workers  
  • Carers.

Health and social care workers 

Health care workers have a responsibility to protect their patients and for nurses this is enshrined in the NMC Code. Flu vaccination for health care workers helps to stop the transmission of the flu virus and is fully supported by professional bodies like the RCN and British Medical Association (BMA). 

The RCN recommends that all members with direct patient care (including students on placement) are fully vaccinated against flu as part of their clinical and professional responsibilities to reduce the risks of spreading the infection to the people they care for. See: RCN position on health care staff and the influenza vaccine. 

Having a flu vaccine annually remains the best way to protect against catching or spreading flu. Nursing staff should make sure that they have the flu vaccine annually to protect themselves and that those they care for also have the vaccine every year.

Guidance is available from the Specialist Pharmacy Services (SPS) on authorisation for administration of the influenza vaccine for health care staff.  

Additional references

General guidance

Immunisation training

The Public Health England (PHE) immunisation training standards and core curriculum now within the UKHSA are applicable in England and Wales. The principles outlined in the standards may provide immunisers with some useful guidance and may be of use for those in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well.

For specific immunisation training resources for Scotland NHS Education for Scotland NES see: Immunisation.

England and Wales

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland

Training resources

Country specific guidance

England

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales

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Page last updated - 23/04/2023

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