National Flu Guidance 2024/25
National Influenza Guidance 2024/25
An amendment was made to the National Flu Immunisation Programme 2024-2025 letter on 18 June 2024, due to the recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIVr) being unavailable for this year’s adult flu vaccination programme.
The flu specifications have been updated to reflect this change:
General Practice specification 2.7.24
Seasonal flu primary care contractual documentation has now been published. 5.4.24
The 24/25 Flu Season letter (published on the 12th March) sets out JCVI advice on moving the start of the programme for most adults to October, with the exact start date to be confirmed.
Please see below the contractual documentation for the 2024/25 Flu season:
For GPs:
- Seasonal influenza Enhanced Service (adults and at risk) Specification
- Childhood influenza Enhanced Service Specification
- Seasonal vaccination influenza Collaboration Agreement
For Community Pharmacies:
Community Pharmacy Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Service
It is recognised that following clinical assessment, there may be a small number of other adults for whom it would be better not to delay flu vaccination until October. For example, for those who are due to commence immunosuppressive treatment (such as chemotherapy) and therefore having the flu vaccine before they start treatment would allow a better response to their vaccination.
To enable flu vaccinations to be administered in exceptional clinical circumstances, the contractual start date for the general practice seasonal influenza enhanced service will be the 15th August 2024. This clinical exception only applies to general practice delivered flu vaccinations and where a practice has clinically assessed the need for vaccination before the announced and authorised start date for the majority of adult cohorts, practices will be entitled to payment of the item of service fee where the commissioner is satisfied exceptional clinical circumstances applied. The payment will need to be requested via usual manual payment claim routes prior to 1st October 2024.
The item of service fee will remain the same for both general practice and community pharmacy for the 2024/25 programme.
The GPES extracts will be updated to phase the start date for all adult cohorts (those aged 18 and over), except for those who are pregnant, from 1st October 2024. However, any vaccinations provided by a practice prior to the announced and authorised start date will not be eligible for payment unless an exceptional clinical circumstance applied as outlined above.
Community pharmacy will not be eligible for any payment for flu vaccinations administered to the relevant adult cohorts prior to the announced and authorised start date. The payment systems will be setup to prevent payment claims being made in advance of this date.
If you have any questions on any of the above, please contact us: england.swvast@nhs.net
The tripartite annual flu letter has now been published on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, and the UKHSA. It sets out which groups are eligible for flu vaccination in 2024 to 2025.
There are no changes to the cohorts for next year’s programme. However, based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, there are changes to the timing of the adult programme which are detailed in the flu letter.
Flu and COVID-19 Seasonal Vaccination Programme: autumn/winter 2024/25 letter
Following the Government acceptance of JCVI’s advice on the COVID-19 programme, this letter sets out the eligible groups for flu and COVID-19 vaccination in autumn/winter 2024/25, confirms the timing of the campaign (main campaign starting on 3 October, with flu vaccinations in children and pregnant women from 1 September), and lays out next steps.
It also outlines the importance of offering other vaccinations alongside the seasonal programme to those that are eligible where it is appropriate and clinically safe to do so. It particularly emphasises the importance of offering the RSV vaccine to those eligible at the earliest opportunity to give them vital protection ahead of winter.
