Autumn and winter health

The flu vaccine is recommended for people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu.

The NHS is sending out invitations to remind eligible people to come forward as soon as they can, but you do not need to wait for an invitation to book. You can book quickly and easily on the NHS website, NHS App, or by calling 119.

Those eligible for the NHS flu vaccination are:

• pregnant women
• all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2025
• primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
• secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
• all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years
• those aged 65 years and over
• those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined in the Influenza chapter of the Green Book)
• those in long-stay residential care homes
• carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
• close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
• frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants

Health and social care staff will also be offered a flu vaccine from their organisation, with multiple convenient options to get vaccinated based around working and shift patterns.

Most school-aged children will receive their flu vaccinations at school, but younger children and those who miss their school or nursery session can also get the vaccine at their GP practice or at a community clinic.

Pregnant women should speak to their maternity team to receive the flu jab at their scheduled maternity appointments, or by contacting their local GP practice or a pharmacy.

If you're aged 18 or over, you can book a flu vaccination appointment at a pharmacy online or in the NHS App now.

A COVID-19 vaccination is an important part of protecting yourself if you’re at increased risk from severe COVID-19. You or your child may be offered a seasonal COVID-19 vaccine.

• You can get the winter COVID-19 vaccine if you:
• are aged 75 or over (including those who will be 75 by 31 January 2026)
• are aged 6 months to 74 years and have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment
• live in a care home for older adults

The NHS is sending out invitations to remind eligible people to come forward as soon as they can, but you do not need to wait for an invitation to book. You can book quickly and easily on the NHS website, NHS App, or by calling 119.

The symptoms of COVID-19 and flu are very similar and you can find out more about the symptoms of each illness on this page.

Flu

Flu will often get better on its own, but it can make some people seriously ill. It's important to get the flu vaccine if you're advised to.

Symptoms of flu

Flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include:

• a sudden high temperature
• an aching body
• feeling tired or exhausted
• a dry cough
• a sore throat
• a headache
• difficulty sleeping
• loss of appetite
• diarrhoea or tummy pain
• feeling sick and being sick

The symptoms are similar for children, but they can also get pain in their ear and appear less active. Find out more about flu

Symptoms of COVID-19

COVID-19 symptoms can include:

• a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
• shortness of breath
• feeling tired or exhausted
• an aching body
• a headache
• a sore throat
• a blocked or runny nose
• loss of appetite
• diarrhoea
• feeling sick or being sick

The symptoms are very similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as colds and flu.  It is important to get the COVID-19 vaccination if you are eligible.

Find out more about COVID-19

The British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) has shared porcine (pork) derived product guidance. They promotes that vaccination is a strong defence against flu (a virus) which causes severe illness and deaths every year. They state that not vaccinating could put yourself, your children, and others at risk. 

Do all flu vaccines contain pork gelatine?

1. The injectable vaccine DOES NOT contain porcine (pork) derived product and is offered to adults.

2. The nasal spray vaccine offered to children DOES contain porcine derived product.

Can Muslim parents choose which vaccine their child gets?

Yes, parents can choose to have the same injectable flu vaccine that is given to adults for their children, on the basis of religious objection. When asked to sign a consent form, let your vaccination service know your choice is because of the porcine gelatine in the nasal spray vaccine. Most children are offered the nasal spray vaccine which is easier to administer and it may be better at preventing the spread of flu. Ask your doctor for further details so your child receives the most suitable vaccine. Please consult a trusted scholar regarding permissibility as Islamic scholarly opinions differ. 

For further information visit The British Islamic Medical Association website.

Remember that older neighbours, friends and family members may need a bit of extra help over the winter. There’s a lot you can do to help people who are frailer than you. Keep in touch with your friends, neighbours and family and ask if they need any practical help, or if they’re feeling under the weather.

Make sure anyone you’re looking out for has enough food supplies for a few days in case they can’t go out. If they do need to go out in the cold, encourage them to wear shoes with a good grip and a scarf around the mouth to protect them from the cold air, and to reduce their risk of chest infections.

A person with a cold can start spreading it from a few days before their symptoms begin until the symptoms have finished. You may have had a flu vaccination which will help prevent you from getting flu, but it won’t protect you from colds. To avoid catching a cold:

• wash your hands regularly with warm water and soap
• don’t share towels or household items (like cups) with someone who has a cold
• don’t touch your eyes or nose in case you have come into contact with the virus – it can infect the body this way
• stay fit and healthy

Children are most likely to have an asthma flare-up when they start the new school year in September but using their preventer inhaler every day as prescribed can help stop this happening.

Please see this back to school support for parents and carers of children with asthma for further guidance.

Your pharmacist can now provide prescription medicine (if you need it) for seven common health conditions - there’s no need to see your GP. Those common health conditions are:

• sinusitis (12 years and over)
• sore throat
• earache (1 to 17 years)
• infected insect bites (1 year and over)
• impetigo (1 year and over)
• shingles (18 years and over)
• uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.

Get well sooner - think pharmacy first. There’s more information about how pharmacies can help on the NHS website.

There’s a wide range of self-care medication available in pharmacies, shops and supermarkets. These can be used to treat common ailments and save you the trouble of a GP appointment. As with all medicines, always read the label to make sure they are suitable for you and keep them out of the reach of children. If you are unsure if a medicine is suitable for you to take, or if you need advice, talk to your pharmacist.

Great Ormond Street Hospital has published this guidance for keeping a well-stocked but safe medicines cabinet at home. It’s a good idea to check your medicine cabinet regularly so you can replace any medicines that are out of date and therefore unsafe to use. If you have any medicines that are out of date, you should not put them in the bin, down the toilet or down the sink. This causes damage to the environment as medicines end up where they shouldn’t be - in the ground and in the water. This can be harmful to nature and to humans.   

All medicines, whether tablets, liquids like paracetamol or eye drops, inhalers or creams, should be returned to your pharmacy if you don’t need or want them anymore, or if they are out of date. Your pharmacy will dispose of them safely. 

Make sure you have any other medications you need
If you take a prescribed medicine, or need to take an over-the-counter medicine regularly, make sure you have those medicines ahead of a bank holiday. Your GP practice and local pharmacy may close or have different opening times on bank holidays so it’s important to have what you need in your medicines cabinet.

Keeping warm can help to prevent colds, flu and more serious health problems, such as heart attacks, strokes, pneumonia and depression.

Follow these steps:

• Heat your home to at least 18°C (65°F). You might prefer your main living room to be slightly warmer.
• Keep your bedroom window closed on winter nights. Breathing cold air can be bad for your health as it increases the risk of chest infections.
• Keep active when you’re indoors. Try not to sit still for more than an hour or so.
• Wear several layers of light clothes. Several layers trap warm air better than one bulky layer.
• Food is a vital source of energy and helps to keep your body warm so make sure you have plenty of hot food and drinks.
• Keep well to be able to do more and keep your independence. Being cold isn’t just uncomfortable it can be bad for your health. Sitting or sleeping in a cold room is not good for you and increases the risk of heart attacks, stroke and breathing problems. 
• Don’t let the cold catch you out, check the weather forecast and be ready for cold weather.
• Wear shoes with a good grip to prevent slips and falls.
• Make sure you have spare medication in case you are unable to go out.

This winter health information leaflet has some important information from the NHS to help you stay well in winter. There’s also this advice on staying well in winter on the NHS website.

Sources of support:

• Make sure you’re receiving all the help that you’re entitled to. There are grants, benefits and sources of advice available to make your home more energy efficient, improve your heating or help with bills. Visit www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk and ​​​www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/heating for further information.
• Encourage those who may find it more difficult to cope in cold weather to request help through volunteer networks, for example the Royal Voluntary Service website
• Power and utility companies have schemes which make at-risk groups a priority for reconnection following power cuts. Find out if you meet the criteria and if so, sign up. For more information visit the Ofgem (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets) website.

If you’re struggling to pay your energy bills you could be eligible for help. See our leaflet for handy links to support services and information about the different benefits and grants available. View an Affordable warmth warm information leaflet. 

Living in a cold and damp home increases the risk of asthma and bronchitis in children, as well as low weight gain in babies, slower growth, slower development and higher levels of hospital admissions for the young. For more information and tips to keep you and your families warm and well, see our Affordable warmth children’s leaflet. You can also see our affordable warmth website page.

Keeping warm over the winter months can help to prevent colds, flu and more serious health problems. Your home should be heated to at least 18°C in the rooms you use regularly, such as your living room and bedroom. There are grants, benefits and advice available to make your home more energy efficient, improve your heating or help with bills.

Find out more about ways to save energy in your home from GOV.UK, or call the government helpline on 0800 444 202. You can also find out more from GOV.UK about benefits and financial support if you're on a low income or get support if you need help with your energy bills.