Vaccinations

Flu vaccination

All frontline social care workers should be encouraged to get the flu vaccine by their employer. The flu vaccine is safe and effective. It’s offered every year for free to social care staff to help protect people at risk of getting seriously ill from flu.

For people in at-risk groups, such as older people or those with an underlying health condition, flu can be a serious disease and can cause death. As someone delivering social care or as a carer, you will be caring for many people in these at-risk groups. Getting the vaccine will mean you are much less likely to spread flu to them and will help to protect those you are caring for this winter.

The best time to get the flu vaccine is in the autumn or early winter before flu starts spreading and for winter 2025/26 the vaccine will be available from 1 October 2025 until March 2026.

To access a flu vaccination, you can book an appointment at your GP practice or go to a local pharmacy.

Read further guidance about the flu vaccine for social care workers and carers.

Read more about the flu vaccine from the NHS.

You may need to prove your eligibility for the flu jab, such as an ID badge, recent payslip or letter from an employer.

Here are some editable letter templates which could be used:

Health and Social care Influenza vaccine letter for care workers 2025-26

Influenza vaccine for care workers of Personal Health Budget Holders letters 2025-26

COVID-19 vaccination

In line with JCVI advice, frontline health and social care workers (HSCWs) and staff working in care homes for older adults will not be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination under the national programme for autumn 2025.

This is following an extensive review by JCVI of the scientific evidence surrounding the impact of vaccination on transmission of the virus from HSCWs to patients, protection of HSCWs against symptoms of the disease and staff sickness absences.

For HSCWs, this means that COVID-19 vaccination likely now has only a very limited impact on reducing staff sickness absence. Therefore, the focus of the programme is now on those at greatest risk of serious disease and who are therefore most likely to benefit from vaccination.

HSCWs who are otherwise eligible (for example because of their own health conditions) will continue to be offered the vaccine as part of the NHS programme and will be invited to book an appointment by their GP practice.

More information on eligible groups

Measles

From Autumn 2023 to summer 2024, England experienced the biggest outbreak of measles since 2012, particularly affecting children under the age of 10 years. Since the peak last year cases have declined, but local outbreaks have continued, particularly in London and the North West Regions and there is also an increase in measles abroad. While the numbers of cases are still low in Hampshire there is always a risk, so protection through vaccination is still very important.

Having two doses of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best way to protect you and your family and help prevent measles spreading, especially to those most vulnerable. Two doses of the MMR vaccine give you excellent lifelong protection. If you think you or anyone in your family have missed out, check your child’s personal child health record (PCHR), known as the red book, or contact your GP practice.

It is important to catch up as soon as possible, especially if you are travelling to other areas in England or abroad.

The MMR vaccine is available free from your GP practice.

Getting vaccinated means you are also helping protect others who can’t have the vaccine, including infants under one year and people with weakened immune systems, who are at greater risk of serious illness and complications from measles. They rely on the rest of us getting the vaccine to protect them.

There is information available from the NHS on the MMR vaccine.

There is information about measles on the NHS website.

• This includes advice about the signs and symptoms of measles, including photos of the measles rash. The rash looks brown or red on white skin. It may be harder to see on brown and black skin. 
• Measles is a highly infectious viral illness, so anyone with symptoms is advised to stay at home and phone their GP or NHS 111 for advice, rather than visiting the surgery or A&E, to prevent the illness spreading further.