Source: UK Health Security Agency, NHS England, and Department of Health and Social Care
The NHS influenza immunisation programme 2022 to 2023 (‘annual flu letter’) of the 22 April 2022 is hereby amended to reflect the following changes:
1. In 2022 to 2023, the following additional cohorts will be offered influenza vaccination:
- secondary school-aged children focusing on Years 7, 8 and 9 and any remaining vaccine will be offered to years 10 and 11, subject to vaccine availability
- those aged 50 to 64 years old not in clinical risk groups (including those who turn 50 by 31 March 2023)
Secondary school-aged children
2. The secondary school-aged children will be offered immunisation through the school age immunisation service. Secondary school children will be offered vaccination as far as it is possible to do so, with primary schools and lower years 7, 8 and 9 prioritised, and older ages offered vaccination once an offer has been made to younger children and subject to vaccine availability. This will be commissioned via the school age service specification.
3. The live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) should be offered to children in secondary school unless contraindicated or where parents object to LAIV on the grounds of its porcine gelatine content. Where LAIV is unsuitable, children should be offered the injectable cell-based Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (QIVc) if aged 2 years to less than 18 years. Children’s vaccines will be available to order through the ImmForm website.
Summary table of which influenza vaccines to offer to children
| Eligible group | Type of influenza vaccine | |
|---|---|---|
| At risk children aged from 6 months to less than 2 years | Offer QIVe
For egg-allergic children under 2 years it is advised that QIVc is offered off-label |
|
| At risk children aged 2 to under 18 years | Offer LAIV
If LAIV is contraindicated (or it is otherwise unsuitable) offer QIVc [footnote 1] |
|
| Aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2022
Primary school aged children (aged 4 to 10 on 31 August 2022) Secondary school aged children |
Offer LAIV
If LAIV is contraindicated (or it is otherwise unsuitable) offer QIVc [footnote 1] |
Healthy 50 to 64-year olds
4. The offer of seasonal influenza immunisation will be extended to healthy 50 to 64 year olds later in the season. Providers are asked to start vaccinating this age group from 15 October 2022.
5. The Department of Health and Social Care are not centrally procuring additional vaccine for the healthy 50 to 64 year olds. Providers are asked to order additional stock directly from manufacturers for this additional cohort, based on vaccine coverage that was achieved over the last 2 years. The following flu vaccine manufacturers have indicated that they still have flu vaccine stocks available to order. This is in addition to purchases that can be made through the wholesale route. Providers will be reimbursed for those vaccines that are administered to patients in eligible cohorts.
Summary table of manufacturers with vaccine stock still available to order for 50 to 64-year olds
| Manufacturer | Vaccine type available | How to place an order |
|---|---|---|
| Sanofi | QiVr QiVe |
Customer services information Email: GB-vaccinecustomerservices@sanofi.com Phone: 0800 854 430 (option 1)Customers are able to place vaccines orders with Sanofi through 3 routes: 1. Calling or emailing customer services. 2. Discussing with their Vaccine Account Manager. Note this is dependant on customer type. 3. Ordering online via our e-commerce platform Vaxishop. |
| Seqirus | QiVc | Seqirus sales team Phone: 0345 009 3804 Email: flu.salesuk@seqirus.com Online at flu360Please contact the Seqirus sales team on 0345 009 3804 or email at flu.salesuk@seqirus.com, alternatively online at flu360, to adjust orders. |
| Viatris | QiVe | Customer services information Email: flu@viatris.com Phone: 0800 358 7468 |
6. Manufacturers will confirm anticipated delivery times when orders are placed but it is expected that some vaccines will arrive mid-October.
7. Vaccines offered to this cohort should be those advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), as set out in the revised reimbursement letter dated 21 July 2022.
8. The advice of JCVI was that the most vulnerable cohorts should be prioritised over the otherwise healthy 50 to 64 year olds and given the most effective vaccines available first, QIVr (recombinant Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine) or QIVc where possible, while QIVe should be reserved for otherwise healthy 50 to 64 year olds.
Click here for the source of the update (21st July).
