Timing of the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) availability for the 2026/27 children’s flu programme

Dear practice colleagues,

Flu vaccines are ‘just in time’ products that are brought to market each year under very pressurised timelines and in very large volumes, following the WHO strain selection announcement in late February each year.

Vaccines are biological products and manufacture can sometimes be unpredictable. There are multiple vaccine ‘platforms’ (e.g. egg-based and cell-based), and vaccine production systems differ across these platforms which can impact on timelines for individual products. LAIV is an egg-based vaccine and additionally a ‘live’ vaccine, which adds further complexity and risk to the manufacturing process. This must be taken into account when managing expectations around LAIV availability each year.

Feedback has suggested that confirming dates for LAIV availability in late summer (once vaccine production has reached specific milestones) can create operational challenge. UKHSA and NHS England have therefore been working together to explore how we can improve communication of LAIV availability, with a view to enabling providers to plan their programmes more effectively.

For 2026/27, it has been agreed that UKHSA will share anticipated dates for LAIV availability for general practice and the school age immunisation service earlier than usual, and these are set out below.

However, please note that these dates remain subject to change, and planning for vaccination sessions should continue to take account of this. The latest and most accurate information will be provided via the ImmForm news page, so please check there regularly.

Information on LAIV availability for community pharmacies will be communicated through NHS England internal channels.

*As of the date of this communication. Remains subject to change.

Best regards

London Immunisation Team
NHS England – London Region