The geographical pilots for primary school aged children established in 2013 to 2014 will continue and there will be a number of additional pilots for children in secondary school years 7 and 8 (aged around 11 to 13 years). In the primary school pilots those children in reception year who are aged 4 may be vaccinated either through the school programme or through their local GP.

When the programme is fully implemented, children will be offered the flu vaccine each year in the autumn term. This is because flu viruses can change annually, so the vaccines are made each year to provide protection against the current circulating flu viruses. To be most effective, the vaccine should be given in the autumn or early winter before flu starts to circulate in the community.