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A “flu walk-in finder”, which allows patients to find out when they can visit a community pharmacy that offers flu vaccinations without an appointment, will be launched from October 2025, according to NHS England.
In its ‘Urgent and emergency care plan 2025/2026‘, published on 6 June 2025, NHS England said the decision to launch the service had been developed in response to public feedback.
Patients had reported that “restrictions on the national booking service and the lack of information on clinic times were suboptimal”, according to the document.
Many pharmacies already offer walk-in flu vaccinations, as well as the option to book an appointment.
The plan also includes an expansion of the national booking service for flu vaccination to make more appointments available, including “keeping it open until the end of the flu campaign in March”, NHS England said.
Data provided by pharmacies to Community Pharmacy England show that, as of the end of December 2024, more than 4 million flu vaccines had been provided in pharmacies since the beginning of the winter 2024/2025 flu vaccination programme on 1 September 2024.
Data for the rest of the flu season are not yet available.
Commenting on the plans for the forthcoming autumn’s flu vaccination programme, Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association, said: “Pharmacies have proven time and time again that they can offer increased capacity for vaccination programmes.
“They offer a route to boost both the confidence in and uptake of vaccinations, especially amongst underserved communities. There has been steady growth in the number of flu vaccines administered by community pharmacy since the programme was launched, but we can do even more.
“However, for this to succeed, it is vitally important that the NHS develops integration between the national booking system and existing booking systems. This will allow patients to take full advantage of community pharmacy without increasing workload on stretched pharmacy teams.”
In November and December 2024, NHS England asked adult flu vaccination service providers for their views on the potential benefits and challenges of a centralised procurement model for supplies of the vaccine.
All other vaccines, including the children’s flu vaccine, are procured and distributed centrally through the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) — whereas community pharmacies currently buy their own supplies.
If central procurement of the adult flu vaccine were to be adopted, the UKHSA would also purchase and supply this vaccine.
NHS England’s urgent and emergency care plan also includes measures to increase the uptake of vaccinations among children, adding that every thousand childhood vaccinations saves around four hospital admissions.
Some areas will be asked to pilot the use of health visitors to give childhood flu vaccinations and other routine immunisations, according to the plan.
The plan added that NHS trusts will be asked to have fully developed plans for “improving flu vaccine uptake for NHS staff by the end of quarter one”.
