Newdays Pharmacy · 31st August 2026 · 4 min read
Reviewed by a GPhC-registered Pharmacist at Newdays Pharmacy | Published: 2026 | Book an appointment
We all know flu season 2026 is coming. But how many of us truly understand what’s actually at stake if we choose not to get vaccinated?
This season, we’re laying it out plainly, because awareness saves lives.
The Reality of Flu Season 2026 in the UK
Flu isn’t a mild inconvenience. It can cause serious problems for children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with certain long term health conditions, including hospitalisation, and in some cases, severe breathing failure or death.
The numbers reflect this clearly. Around 104,000 hospitalisations are estimated to have been avoided last year because of flu vaccination in England alone. That means without the vaccination programme, roughly 104,000 people could have ended up in hospital instead.
Put another way, that’s 104,000 families disrupted, 104,000 patients needing hospital beds, and 104,000 people suffering needlessly, all from something largely preventable.
Who Is Most at Risk?
Anyone can catch flu. But some groups face far more serious consequences if they do.
Older adults People aged 65 and over are significantly more likely to develop complications. Their immune systems are less able to fight off the virus, and flu can trigger or worsen existing heart, lung, or kidney conditions.
Pregnant women Flu during pregnancy increases the risk of premature birth and low birth weight. The vaccine protects both mother and unborn baby.
People with long term conditions Anyone with diabetes, asthma, COPD, heart disease, or a weakened immune system faces a much higher risk of severe illness if they catch flu.
Young children Children under 5 are particularly vulnerable, which is why the NHS offers the nasal spray vaccine to all children aged 2 and over.
Frontline workers Healthcare and social care workers who catch flu don’t just suffer themselves, they also risk passing it on to highly vulnerable patients and residents in their care.
The Knock-On Effect on the NHS
When large numbers of people get flu at the same time, the strain on the health service becomes immense.
- Hospital beds fill up
- Planned surgeries get cancelled
- Staff call in sick
- GP surgeries become overwhelmed
The flu vaccination programme plays a critical role in supporting NHS and adult social care resilience through the winter months, exactly when hospital admissions are at their peak.
Choosing not to vaccinate, when you’re able to, adds to this pressure on the whole system. Choosing to vaccinate helps ease it, both for yourself and for everyone else relying on NHS care that winter.
The Simple Maths of Prevention
A flu jab takes less than 10 minutes. It’s free on the NHS if you’re eligible.
It could prevent days or weeks of illness, time off work, and a potential hospital stay. For people with underlying health conditions, it could genuinely be the difference between a manageable winter and a life threatening one.
Prevention is always easier, and safer, than treatment.
Don’t wait until you’re ill. Visit Newdays Pharmacy this autumn and get your flu jab before the season peaks.
This article is for general information only. It’s not personal medical advice. To check your eligibility or book your flu vaccination, please speak to our team at Newdays Pharmacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you do not have the flu vaccine, you remain at risk of catching influenza during the flu season. While many people recover without complications, flu can cause more serious illness, particularly in older adults, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions.
Newdays Pharmacy provides flu vaccinations at participating branches, helping eligible patients protect themselves ahead of the 2026/27 flu season.
Yes. Although most healthy people recover from flu within around a week, influenza can sometimes lead to complications and may require hospital treatment. The risk of serious illness is higher for people in certain vulnerable groups.
Getting vaccinated can help reduce your risk of becoming seriously ill from flu. Newdays Pharmacy provides flu vaccination services at participating branches.
Yes. Flu can spread easily from person to person. If you catch flu, you may pass it to people around you, including family members and people who are more vulnerable to serious complications.
Vaccination helps reduce your risk of flu and can contribute to protecting vulnerable people in your family and community.
Yes. It can still be beneficial to get vaccinated during the flu season if you are eligible. The vaccine takes time to provide protection, so getting vaccinated before exposure to flu is preferable.
The 2026/27 NHS adult flu vaccination programme begins on 1 October 2026, while vaccination for pregnant women and children starts from 1 September. Vaccination can continue later in the season for eligible people. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Newdays Pharmacy offers flu vaccinations at participating branches, subject to eligibility and availability.