Booking is open and the first jabs go in on 1 September. Medway's uptake trailed England in all three adult groups last winter, at 73.5 per cent of over-65s.

The NHS booking system for this winter’s flu jab is open, and the first doses go into arms tomorrow, Tuesday 1 September. Health leaders across Kent and Medway asked eligible residents to book on Friday.

Two dates matter, and they are not the same for everyone. According to the NHS:

  • From 1 September 2026: some people, including anyone who is pregnant
  • From 1 October 2026: most other eligible people

You do not have to wait to be invited. Booking is through the NHS App, the NHS website or by calling 119.

Medway went into last winter behind England on every adult group

This is the part the press release does not tell you. The UK Health Security Agency publishes flu uptake by local authority, and all 31 of Medway’s GP practices reported. Medway finished the 2025 to 2026 season below both the England average and the Kent average in all three adult groups.

Group Medway Kent England
Aged 65 and over 73.5% 76.0% 74.5%
Under 65 and clinically at risk 40.1% 42.2% 40.6%
Pregnant 37.0% 38.0% 38.4%

Behind the percentages are real counts. Of 52,306 Medway patients aged 65 and over, 38,437 were vaccinated. That leaves 13,869 people over 65 in Medway who went through last winter without a flu jab. In the under-65 at-risk group, 30,533 of 51,005 were not vaccinated.

The figures are cumulative to 28 February 2026 and are UKHSA’s provisional monthly data (main GP flu survey by local authority). UKHSA notes that uptake among pregnant women is likely to be underestimated, because the denominator can include women who become eligible and then ineligible before they are vaccinated.

Bar chart comparing flu vaccine uptake in Medway, Kent and England for the 2025 to 2026 season: over 65s 73.5 per cent in Medway, 76.0 in Kent, 74.5 in England; under 65 at risk 40.1, 42.2, 40.6; pregnant women 37.0, 38.0, 38.4
Flu vaccine uptake, 1 September 2025 to 28 February 2026. Graphic by Medway Live from UKHSA provisional monthly data.

Who gets it free

The NHS list of people entitled to a free flu vaccine:

  • aged 65 or over, including anyone who will be 65 by 31 March 2027
  • aged 18 to 64 with certain long-term health conditions
  • pregnant
  • living in a care home
  • the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receiving carer’s allowance
  • living with someone who has a weakened immune system
  • homeless, or staying in a homeless hostel or night shelter

Frontline health and social care workers get theirs through their employer. Social care workers can also use a GP or pharmacy.

What the local directors of public health said

Professor David Whiting, Medway Council’s Director of Public Health, put the case for booking early rather than waiting: “Winter can place considerable strain on health and care services. The earlier people come forward for vaccination, the better prepared we will be as a community.”

Dr Kate Langford, NHS Kent and Medway’s Chief Medical Officer, said the vaccine “provides the best protection against serious illness for those most at risk from flu”. The NHS says nearly 19 million people in England were vaccinated last winter, and that around 104,000 hospital admissions are estimated to have been avoided.

What it means for you

  • If you are pregnant, you can be vaccinated from tomorrow. Maternity services offer it alongside GPs and pharmacies.
  • Everyone else eligible can book now for October. Booking early does not mean being vaccinated early; it means securing a slot.
  • Check the age rule carefully. If you turn 65 at any point before 31 March 2027, you qualify this season.
  • Carers count. Being the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receiving carer’s allowance, makes you eligible in your own right, and that is one of the most commonly missed routes.
  • If you are 18 or over you can book online or in the NHS App now, or call 119. No invitation is needed.

Sources