1 Summary

• A total of 576,527 influenza vaccinations were administered during the 2025/26 seasonal influenza vaccination programme which commenced on 06 October 2025 and ended on 31 March 2026.
• Uptake of influenza vaccination was highest in care home residents and individuals aged 65 years and over.
• Vaccine uptake was highest in Lisburn and Castlereagh Local Government District (LGD) in eligible adult cohorts reported by LGD; 65 years and over and 18-64 years ‘at risk’. Vaccine uptake was lowest in Mid Ulster for the same eligible groups.
• Vaccine uptake in eligible children was highest in primary school children.
• Vaccine uptake in most eligible groups was similar or lower compared to the previous programme in 2024/25. Estimated uptake increased in all Trust-employed health and social care workers in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.

2 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programme 2025/26

The Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programme 2025/26 commenced in Northern Ireland on 06 October 2025 and ended on 31 March 2026. The vaccination programme was delivered by a number of providers including general practitioners (GP), community pharmacy, Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts and Trust school nursing teams. The total number of vaccinations administered during the programme was 576,527. Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in eligible adults in 2025/26 was highest in care home residents (79.7%) and those aged 65 years and over (74.1%). Uptake of influenza vaccine uptake in eligible children was highest in primary school children at 59.4% (Figure 2.1).

Figure 2.1: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake by eligible group in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

3 Vaccine uptake in eligible adults

Influenza vaccination recording was introduced into the Northern Ireland Vaccine Management System (VMS) in 2021/22 and reporting on uptake in care home residents commenced in 2022/23. Vaccine uptake in eligible adult groups was similar in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25 but has decreased since 2022/23. Vaccine uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over has declined from 83% in 2022/23 to 74.1% in 2025/26. Vaccine uptake has remained highest in care home residents since 2022/23, however, uptake has declined during this period from 82.5% in 2022/23 to 79.7% in 2025/26. It was not possible to report on vaccine uptake over time for those ‘at risk’ due to changing eligible age criteria across programme years (Figure 3.1).

Figure 3.1: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in eligible adults in Northern Ireland, 2021/22 to 2025/26.

3.1 65 years and over

3.1.1 65 years and over by Local Government District

Vaccine uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over varied by LGD. Vaccine uptake was highest in Lisburn and Castlereagh (82.8%) and lowest in Mid Ulster (62.5%) (Figure 3.2).

Figure 3.2: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by Local Government District in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

3.1.2 65 years and over by age band

Vaccine uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over improved with increasing age. Vaccine uptake increased from 64.1% in those aged 65-69 years to 87.7% in those aged 80 years and over (Figure 3.3).

Figure 3.3: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by age band in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

3.1.3 65 years by deprivation

Vaccine uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over was highest in the least deprived areas (decile 10). Vaccine uptake increased from 64.8% in the most deprived areas (decile 1) to 90.4% in the least deprived areas (decile 10) (Figure 3.4).

Figure 3.4: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure decile, 2025/26.

3.2 18-64 years ‘at risk’

3.2.1 18-64 years ‘at risk’ by Local Government District

Vaccine uptake in individuals aged 18-64 years ‘at risk’ varied by LGD. Vaccine uptake was highest in Lisburn and Castlereagh (46.8%) and lowest in Mid-Ulster (28.3%) and Fermanagh and Omagh (29.5%) (Figure 3.5).

Figure 3.5: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in individuals aged 18 to 64 years ‘at risk’ by Local Government District in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

3.2.2 18-64 years ‘at risk’ by age band

Vaccine uptake in individuals aged 18-64 years ‘at risk’ improved with increasing age. Vaccine uptake increased from 20.4% in those aged 18-24 years to 51.9% in those aged 60-64 years (Figure 3.6).

Figure 3.6: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in individuals aged 18 to 64 years ‘at risk’ by age band in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

3.3 Care Home residents

3.3.1 Care Home residents by Trust

Vaccine uptake in care home residents was relatively similar across HSC Trust area (location of the care home); ranging from 76.3% in Southern HSC Trust (SHSCT) to 83.7% in South Eastern HSC Trust (SEHSCT) (Figure 3.7).

Figure 3.7: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in care home residents by Trust in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

4 Vaccine uptake in eligible children

Influenza vaccinations administered to children as part of the school flu vaccine programme were introduced into VMS in 2024/25. Vaccine uptake in eligible children has declined since 2021/22. Vaccine uptake has remained highest in primary school children since 2021/22, however, uptake has declined during this period from 72.7% in 2021/22 to 59.4% in 2025/26. Uptake in post primary school children has also declined during the same time period from 63.8% to 55%. Reporting of vaccine uptake in special educational needs schools was possible in 2025/26. Uptake was lower than primary and post primary schools in 2025/26 at 38.4%. Since 2021/22 vaccine uptake in preschool children has been consistently lower than uptake in school children. Uptake in preschool children was more stable over time with similar uptake reported in 2024/25 (30%) and 2025/26 (29.7%) (Figure 4.1).

Figure 4.1: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in eligible children in Northern Ireland, 2021/22 to 2025/26.

4.1 Preschool children

4.1.1 Preschool children by Local Government District

Vaccine uptake in preschool children varied by LGD. Vaccine uptake was highest in Lisburn and Castlereagh (45.3%) and lowest in Derry City and Strabane (21.5%) (Figure 4.2).

Figure 4.2: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in preschool children by Local Government District in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

4.2 School children

4.2.1 School children by year group

A total of 182,383 school-aged children received a seasonal influenza vaccination in 2025/26. Vaccine uptake by year group was reported for primary and post primary schools, special education needs schools were not included. Vaccine uptake increased with increasing year group from 59% in year 1 (primary) to 65.7% in year 6 (primary). Uptake then decreased with the lowest uptake of 48.6% in year 12 (post primary) (Figure 4.3).

Figure 4.3: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in school children by year group in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

4.2.2 School children by Trust

Vaccine uptake in school children varied by HSC Trust area (location of the school). Uptake in primary school children (years 1-7) was highest in SEHSCT (66.5%) and lowest in Western HSC Trust (WHSCT) (52.1%). Uptake in post primary school children (years 8-12) was also highest in SEHSCT (59.6%) and lowest in WHSCT (51.9%) (Figure 4.4).

Figure 4.4: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in primary school children by Trust in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

5 Vaccine uptake in eligible health and social care workers

Individuals may have more than one eligibility criteria for vaccination, however, most will only have one reason for vaccination recorded on VMS. This particularly impacts estimates of vaccine uptake in health and social care workers. Estimated vaccine uptake in eligible Trust-employed health and social care workers (HSCWs) has decreased since 2021/22. Estimated uptake was similar between 2023/24 and 2024/25 before increasing in 2025/26. Vaccination has been offered to all Trust-employed health and social care workers from 2021/22 to 2025/26, with the exception of 2022/23 (offer to frontline only). Estimated vaccine uptake in all Trust-employed HSCWs increased from 21.4% in 2024/25 to 30.5% in 2025/26.

Within the frontline HSCWs, estimated uptake was reported for frontline health care workers (HCWs) and frontline social care workers (SCWs). Estimated uptake in frontline HCWs decreased from 48.3% in 2021/22 to 24.9% in 2024/25. Estimated uptake improved in 2025/26, increasing to 36.7%. Estimated uptake has been consistently lowest in SCWs since 2021/22, however, estimated uptake in this group also improved in 2025/26 (Figure 5.1).

Figure 5.1: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in Trust-employed health and social care workers in Northern Ireland, 2021/22 to 2025/26.

5.1 All Trust-employed health and social care workers

In Northern Ireland, the offer of seasonal influenza vaccination in 2025/26 was to all health and social care workers including those without direct patient contact. Further information on eligibility criteria is included in Section 6: Eligibility for vaccinations. Estimated vaccine uptake in all Trust-employed health and social care workers varied by HSC Trust of employment. Estimated uptake was highest in SEHSCT at 39.1%. Estimated uptake was lowest in SHSCT, 23.2%, and NIAS, 24.6% (Figure 5.2).

Figure 5.2: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in all Trust-employed health and social care workers by Trust of employment in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

5.1.1 All Trust-employed health and social care workers by job role

Estimated vaccine uptake by job role is based on the five HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland. Job role was assigned based on job role recorded by the individual or vaccinator on VMS, inaccuracies in recording impact estimates of vaccine uptake. Estimated vaccine uptake in Trust-employed health and social care workers differed by job role with uptake highest in Medical & Dental job roles, 77.4%, and lowest in Social Services job roles at 12.5% (Figure 5.3).

Figure 5.3: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in all Trust-employed health and social care workers by job role in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

5.2 Frontline Trust-employed health and social care workers

5.2.1 Frontline Trust-employed health and social care workers by Trust

Estimated vaccine uptake in frontline Trust-employed health and social care workers varied by HSC Trust. Estimated vaccine uptake was highest in SEHSCT (41.1%) and lowest in SHSCT (22.4%) (Figure 5.4).

Figure 5.4: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in frontline Trust-employed health and social care workers by Trust of employment in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

6 Eligibility for vaccinations

The Green Book is published by UK Health Security Agency and provides information for public health professionals on immunisation, including seasonal influenza vaccination (The Green Book | Immunisation against infectious disease). Considering this advice and that of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the Chief Medical Officer in Northern Ireland issues a letter for the seasonal influenza programme outlining who is eligible for vaccination under the current programme. For more information on the vaccination programmes in Northern Ireland, including eligibility for vaccination, please visit Health NI | Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programme 2025/2026.

The Green Book advises that influenza immunisation should be provided to healthcare and social care workers in direct contact with patients/clients, i.e. frontline health and social care workers (Green Book | Chapter 19: Influenza). In Northern Ireland, the offer of seasonal influenza vaccination in 2025/26 was to all health and social care workers including those without direct patient contact.

7 Methods

Data presented to the end of the influenza vaccination programme, 31 March 2025.

All vaccinations were recorded on the Northern Ireland Vaccine Management System (VMS). Vaccinations administered as part of the schools influenza vaccination programme were recorded on the Northern Ireland Child Health System (CHS) which fed into VMS.

Data was accurate at the time of extraction, 08 July 2026. Data lags exist between data of administration of the vaccine and date of recording on VMS or CHS.

Eligible groups were not mutually exclusive and individuals may be counted in more than one group. Individuals may have more than one eligibility criteria for vaccination, however most will only have one reason for vaccination recorded on VMS. This will impact estimates of vaccine uptake.

8 Supplementary tables

Table 1: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake by eligible group in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

Table 2: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake by eligible group in Northern Ireland, 2021/22 to 2025/26.

Table 3: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by Local Government District in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

Table 4: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by age band in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

Table 5: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure decile, 2025/26.

Table 6: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake in individuals aged 18 to 64 years ‘at risk’ by Local Government District in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

Table 7: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake in individuals aged 18 to 64 years ‘at risk’ by age band in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

Table 8: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake in care home residents by Trust in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

Table 9: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake in eligible children in Northern Ireland, 2021/22 to 2025/26.

Table 10: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake in preschool children by Local Government District in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

Table 11: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake in school children by year group in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

Table 12: Number of influenza vaccinations and cumulative vaccination uptake in primary and post primary children by Trust in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

Table 13: Number of influenza vaccinations and estimated cumulative vaccination uptake in health and social care workers in Northern Ireland, 2021/22 to 2025/26.

Table 14: Number of influenza vaccinations and estimated cumulative vaccination uptake in all Trust-employed health and social care workers by Trust in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

Table 15: Number of influenza vaccinations and estimated cumulative vaccination uptake in all Trust-employed health and social care workers by job role in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.

Table 16: Number of influenza vaccinations and estimated cumulative vaccination uptake in frontline Trust-employed health and social care workers by Trust in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.