Classification: Official

To:

• GP practices
• primary care networks
• regional directors
• regional directors of commissioning

cc:

• integrated care board chief executives
• directors of public health

Dear colleagues,

2026/27 COVID-19 and adult influenza vaccination service specification now published for general practice

The 2026/27 COVID-19 and adult influenza vaccination service specification has now been published. 

For the first time, we have combined the COVID-19 and adult influenza service specifications into 1 document, although practices can still sign up to deliver only the adult influenza vaccination service. We have also streamlined and further aligned the COVID-19 and adult influenza vaccination requirements. The service specification may therefore look and feel different this year. We have summarised the key changes below, but many requirements remain the same.

Today the government has confirmed acceptance of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on eligibility for the spring 2026 COVID-19 vaccination programme. The announced and authorised eligible cohorts for the COVID-19 spring 2026 programme are:  

• adults aged 75 years and over 
• residents in a care home for older adults
• individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a

Vaccination should begin from 13 April 2026 and end on 30 June 2026. Priority should be given to care homes for older adults and eligible housebound patients.

We will announce patient eligibility and the start dates for the 2026/27 autumn/winter COVID-19 and adult influenza vaccination campaigns, once these are confirmed.

Key changes from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027

COVID-19 vaccination service

• From April 2026, individual practices will be able to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations. They will no longer be required to form a primary care network (PCN) grouping to deliver the service. We know this will be welcomed by many practices but if practices still wish to collaborate, they will be able to do so in their PCN.
• Practices must offer a COVID-19 vaccination to eligible patients on their registered lists. There are some circumstances in which practices can offer vaccination to patients not on their registered lists as set out in the enhanced service specification.
• In response to practice feedback, practices will be able to use GPIT to record COVID-19 vaccinations. Practices will no longer be using point-of-care systems or the Manage Your Service (MYS) system to claim for payments (in line with the process for other vaccination services).
• There will no longer be an additional £10 payment for the administration of COVID-19 vaccinations to housebound people, but we have increased the COVID-19 vaccination item of service fees. Practices will be able to claim £8.70 per vaccine administered between 1 September 2026 and 31 January 2027 while the flu campaign is underway; and £10.06 outside the flu campaign.
• We have retired the current COVID-19 vaccination requirements around surge, pausing of services and designation of sites to align with the flu service requirements.

Adult flu vaccination service

• The new combined COVID-19 and adult influenza vaccination service specification commissions the vaccination of patients aged 18 years old and above. Flu vaccinations for 2 to 3 year olds and children between 6 months and 18 years who are in a clinical risk group will be commissioned through a separate enhanced service specification, which will be published shortly.
• The item of service fee for the adult influenza vaccination service will be £10.06 in 2026/27.

Changes for both the COVID-19 and adult flu vaccination services

• Practices can administer vaccines on practice premises, in patient’s homes, and in care homes. The practice must obtain consent from the commissioner if it wishes to administer vaccines at a location other than a care home or housebound patient’s home.
• Practices are reminded they must offer vaccinations to those who are care home residents or housebound. Practices that offer 1 or both of the seasonal vaccination programmes and are a member of a PCN will be required to collaborate with other practices within their PCN to offer those vaccinations to the PCN’s care home residents collectively.
• We have aligned the call/recall requirements for the flu vaccination service to the COVID-19 vaccination service requirements to require call/re-call for all eligible patients.

How to sign up

• You will be able to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccination service on CQRS from 5 January 2026. If you sign up to deliver the COVID-19 vaccination service, you will also be required to deliver the flu vaccination service, which requires a separate sign up on CQRS). The deadline for signing up to deliver the COVID-19 vaccination service from the start of the spring campaign is 2 February 2026 to ensure practices receive COVID-19 vaccine in time. The deadline to ensure supply for autumn/winter is 31 July 2026.
• Sign up for the adult flu services on CQRS will be announced in due course. Practices will be invited to sign up by 31 July 2026. 

Please read the service specification before you sign up to the seasonal vaccination enhanced service.

If you have any questions, please talk to your regional team in the first instance. You can email the national team at england.vacspolicyandcontracts@nhs.net

We are grateful for everything practices and PCNs are doing to support this year’s flu and COVID-19 autumn/winter campaigns and we hope practices will be able to continue to support the seasonal vaccination services in future years.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Temmink
Director of Vaccination, NHS England

Publication reference: PRN02290