Overview

• About 4,000 community pharmacies across England will provide the free nasal spray to roughly 1.2 million eligible toddlers.
• The service begins 1 October with booked or walk-in slots, and appointments can be made via the NHS App, the NHS website or 119 without waiting for an invite.
• Local teams will add clinics in nurseries and deploy mobile vaccination buses in areas with lower uptake to widen access.
• Health officials say flu drove more than 300,000 hospital bed days last winter, and UKHSA estimates vaccination prevented 96,000–120,200 hospitalisations in 2024/25.
• Most children will get the nasal spray, with an injectable, pork gelatine-free option available for those who need it.