Guidance

Flu vaccines for children and young people

Updated 17 July 2025

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/which-flu-vaccine-should-children-have/flu-vaccines-for-children-and-young-people

Flu vaccines

There are 3 types of flu vaccine available for children in 2025 to 2026:

  1. Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) nasal spray suspension. Available to order from ImmForm.

  2. Injected inactivated influenza vaccine, cell-cultured (IIVc). Available to order from ImmForm.

  3. Injected inactivated influenza vaccine, egg-cultured (IIVe). Not supplied by ImmForm.

Vaccine type by age group is shown below.

Under 6 months of age

Infants under 6 months of age are too young to have the flu vaccine (this is why it is important that expectant mothers have a flu vaccination, pregnant women can have the flu vaccine at any stage of their pregnancy).

Aged 6 months to under 2 years of age

Are they in a clinical risk group (or a household contact of an immunocompromised individual)?

If:

  • no, they are not eligible for the flu vaccine

If:

  • yes, they should have the injected IIVc or IIVe if IIVc not available

Children in this age group who have never had a flu vaccination will need 2 doses at least 4 weeks apart (IIVe not supplied by ImmForm).

Aged from 2 years [footnote 1] to less than 18 years of age in eligible year groups or in a clinical risk group or a household contact of an immunocompromised individual

The LAIV nasal spray contraindicated or otherwise unsuitable

If the parent of an eligible child declines LAIV because of its porcine gelatine content, they can request an alternative injectable vaccine. IIVc is available to order from ImmForm for these children.

If LAIV contraindicated or otherwise unsuitable, they should have the injected IIVc or IIVe(iii) if IIVc not available (IIVe not supplied by ImmForm).

Children under 9 years of age in a clinical risk group (or a child who is a household contact of an immunocompromised individual) who have never had a flu vaccination will need 2 doses 4 weeks apart.

If no contraindications to LAIV nasal spray they should have the LAIV nasal spray vaccine.

Children under 9 years of age in a clinical risk group (or a child who is a household contact of an immunocompromised individual) who have never had a flu vaccination will need 2 doses 4 weeks apart.

Note that IIVx is used on this resource to denote all inactivated influenza vaccines, regardless of how many virus strain antigens are included in the vaccine this season.

All vaccines used for the 2025 to 2026 season are trivalent.

Resources

Further information is available in the Green Book Influenza chapter 19.

Resources for the current flu vaccination programme are available to download or order.

A PDF poster version of this guide is available to download.

  1. aged 2 years on 31 August 2024, unless in a clinical risk group ↩

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