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Please read our COVID‑19 safety guidance here.

Winter Flu Jab Service

Help protect against flu

We offer the free NHS flu jab* in most of our stores in England, Wales, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland (HSC funded*), and in some stores in Scotland. If you’re not eligible for an NHS (or HSC) vaccination, 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. Eligibility criteria apply

^Injectable vaccine, £14.99 (or £19.99 in Jersey)

^‡In some UK countries secondary school children in certain year groups are eligible for free vaccination on the NHS (or HSC)

Step one

Answer a few 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 £14.99^ for our private service

Step three

Go to store for your appointment

Have your vaccination after a chat with the pharmacist^^

How long will my appointment take?

Your appointment will take around 10 minutes.

**Some bookings for the private service will include a short online consultation, which will be reviewed by a prescribing clinician
^Injectable vaccine, £14.99 (or £19.99 in Jersey)
^^Vaccinations may sometimes be administered by a trained vaccinator (non-pharmacist)

Why should I get the flu jab every year?

The best way to help protect yourself and others from flu is to have the flu jab every year. Over time, protection from the flu jab gradually decreases and flu strains can change, which means last year's jab may not protect you from this year's strains. There may also be an increase in flu cases this autumn due to the lack of exposure to the flu virus last winter driven by reduced social interaction.

How effective is the flu vaccine?

Whilst no vaccine is 100% effective, having a flu jab will help protect you from catching flu and passing it on to others. After your jab, it usually takes around 14-21 days to be protected.

Learn more

The flu jab and COVID-19

It’s important to consider having the flu jab because:

if you get flu and COVID-19 at the same time, you're more likely to become seriously ill
it will help to reduce pressure on health and social care services

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
Aching muscles or joints

These side effects are usually mild and should disappear on their own in a day or two.

Speak to the pharmacist^^ if you have any questions about the vaccination or possible side effects.

In the rare event that you have an allergic reaction to the vaccination, our vaccinators are trained to help with this.

There are very few people who can’t have a flu jab, but it might not be suitable if you’ve had a previous reaction to it. Ask your pharmacist^^ if you’re unsure.

The free NHS flu jab at Boots

Most of our pharmacies in England and Wales, as well as our pharmacy on the Isle of Man, can provide the free NHS flu jab* to people aged 50 and over (including those who will turn 50 by 31st March 2022). We may also be able to provide the free NHS flu jab if you’re aged 18 or over and:

you're pregnant
you have a long-term health condition such as diabetes, asthma (treated with a preventer inhaler), a heart condition or a neurological condition such as Parkinson's disease
you have a learning disability
you have (or live with someone who has) a weakened immune system
you're severely overweight
you're a carer
you're a frontline health or social care worker working in a residential or nursing home, a hospice or with a home care provider
you're a frontline primary care worker for example in a pharmacy, GP, dental or optician's practice
you're a resident of a nursing or long-stay residential home

Scotland
Some of our pharmacies in Scotland, depending on the local health board, provide the free NHS flu jab*. Please check local guidance or book our private service.

Northern Ireland
Our pharmacies in Northern Ireland can provide the free HSC flu jab* to customers aged 50 and over (including those who will turn 50 by 31st March 2022) as well as frontline Health and Social Care workers aged 16 and over.

Channel Islands
All Boots pharmacies in Jersey offer the free States-funded flu jab* to eligible customers. Our pharmacies in Guernsey offer the private service only.

The eligible groups for a free flu jab vary in each country and may be updated during the winter flu season.

Boots Private Winter Flu Jab Service

Don’t forget, if you aren’t eligible for the free NHS (or other state-funded) flu vaccination, 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^‡.

Our private Winter Flu Jab Service costs £14.99^

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

*Subject to availability. Eligibility criteria apply

^Injectable vaccine, £14.99 (or £19.99 in Jersey)

^^Vaccinations may sometimes be administered by a trained vaccinator (non-pharmacist)

^‡In some UK countries secondary school children in certain year groups are eligible for free vaccination on the NHS (or HSC)

Before you book

Make sure you've read all the information on this page
If you're accessing our private service, please also read our Patient Guide
If you're completing an online consultation for our private service, you can find our terms and conditions here

If you have any more questions, please see our FAQs.

Patient Survey

We asked our patients what they thought about our online consultation services. Find out the results of the latest survey here.

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 inspection report here.

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, we can usually 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