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Please read our Covid-19 guidance on measures added to keep you safe when attending your appointment. Click here.

Winter Flu Jab Service

Help protect yourself against flu

We offer the free NHS flu jab* in most of our stores in England and Wales, and in some stores in Scotland. If you’re not eligible for the NHS jab, but still want to protect yourself against flu, our private Winter Flu Jab Service** is available in most Boots pharmacies across the UK for people aged 16 and over, and in selected stores for children aged 12 to 15.

Benefits of the service

Convenient: Get a flu jab without having to visit your GP
Accessible: Many of our pharmacies are open seven days a week, including evenings
Flexible: Book your appointment at a time and place that works for you

*Subject to availability. NHS eligibility criteria apply

**Subject to availability. Eligibility criteria apply. Injectable vaccination only for all ages. £13.99.

Step one

Answer a few simple questions

To help us check which flu jab service is right for you***

Step two

Book your appointment online

Free for the NHS flu jab* or £13.99 for our private service

Step three

Go to store for your appointment

Receive your vaccination after a chat with the pharmacist

How long will my appointment take?

The in-store appointment will take around 15 minutes.

***Some people booking for the private service will also be asked to complete a short online consultation, which will be reviewed by a prescribing clinician

Why should I get the flu jab every year?

The best way to help protect yourself and others from catching and spreading flu is to have the flu jab every year. Flu strains can change from year to year, which means last year’s jab may not protect you from this year’s strains. Over time, protection from the flu jab gradually decreases, so this is another reason to keep up to date and get your flu jab every year.

How effective is the flu vaccine?

No vaccine is 100 percent effective but being vaccinated helps protect you against the strains of flu virus contained in the vaccination. This includes swine flu. After your jab, it usually takes around 14-21 days to be protected against flu.

Learn more about the vaccination

At your appointment, one of our pharmacists will inject the vaccine into your upper arm. As with all medicines, there may be some side effects. The most common side effects include:

Redness, soreness or bruising at the injection site
A high temperature, sweating, shivering or feeling unwell
Headaches, fatigue or dizziness
Muscle and joint pain

If you experience any of these, don't worry, they're usually mild and should disappear on their own in a day or two.

Learn more

The free NHS flu jab at Boots

The flu jab is available every year on the NHS to help protect adults and children at risk of flu and its complications. We may be able to provide your free NHS jab if you’re aged 65 and over (or will turn 65 by 31st March 2021), or if you’re aged 18 or over and you:

Are on the Covid-19 shielded patient list or you are a household member of someone who is
Are aged 50 – 64 (available later in the year, private service available now)^
Are pregnant
Have diabetes
Have asthma (treated with a preventer inhaler), COPD or other long-term lung condition
Have a long-term heart condition
Have kidney or liver disease
Have a neurological condition such as Parkinson’s disease
Have a learning disability
Have (or live with someone who has) a weakened immune system due to a medical condition, medication or treatment
Are severely overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more
Care for someone whose welfare may be at risk if you’re ill
Are a frontline health or social care worker working in a residential or nursing home, a hospice or with a home care provider
Are a resident of a nursing or long-stay residential home

We offer the free NHS flu jab in most of our stores in England and Wales, and in some stores in Scotland*. If you live in Northern Ireland, you can get the free NHS flu jab through your GP if you’re eligible.

Boots Private Winter Flu Jab Service

Don’t forget, if you aren’t eligible for the free NHS flu jab, our private Winter Flu Jab Service** is available for customers aged 16 and over in most Boots pharmacies across the UK, and in selected stores for children aged 12 to 15. It’s a simple and convenient way to help protect against flu.

Our private Winter Flu Jab Service costs £13.99.

Collect 4 points for every £1 you spend with Boots Advantage Card

*Subject to availability. NHS eligibility criteria apply

**Subject to availability. Eligibility criteria apply. Injectable vaccination only for all ages. £13.99.

^It was announced by the Government that the eligibility groups for a free NHS flu jab in England and Wales will expand this year to include people who are aged 50 to 64. There is no date announced for this to start but it will be later in the flu season (such as November time), once vaccination of the most ‘at-risk’ groups is well underway. If you’re in this age group you can receive your vaccination early in the season by booking and paying for it through our private service. We will update this page when more information becomes available.

Before You Book

Make sure you've read:

All the information on this page
Our Patient Guide to online consultation services

If you have any more questions, please read our FAQs here.

Patient Survey

We asked our patients what they thought about our online consultation services. Find out what they had to say:

Results of the latest England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland patient survey

The Boots Company plc

CQC overall rating

Good

See the report

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) regulates Boots UK Limited to provide care for patients in Northern Ireland.

See our latest RQIA inspection report

How we use your personal data

To enable us to give you the best and most appropriate care and advice, we collect your personal data such as name, address and date of birth, we also collect your more sensitive personal data regarding your health for the purposes of ensuring the service we provide is appropriate for you.

We may also process your personal data for carefully considered and specific purposes which are in our interest and enable us to enhance the services we provide, but which we believe also benefit our customers. Your personal data will be stored for as long as necessary unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

We may share your personal information across Boots services such as Boots Pharmacy and with other companies that provide services on our behalf but we assure you that Boots will never sell your personal data. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and keeping your personal data safe and secure is our top priority.

For more information about who we may share your data with, how Boots process your data and how to amend or remove your data please see our privacy policy or contact Boots.CustomerCare_Team@boots.co.uk

Help protect yourself from pneumonia

Pneumonia is a serious chest infection that’s most common in autumn and winter. If you’re 18 or over, you may also want to consider our Pneumonia Vaccination Service†. To make things easier, some of our pharmacies can offer this service at the same time as your flu jab. Find out more about the private Boots Pneumonia Vaccination Service.

†Most Boots pharmacies, subject to availability. Eligibility criteria and charges apply