Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Surveillance in Northern Ireland, 2026/27
Public Health Agency
05 November 2026
Data were correct at 01 November 2026.
1 Summary
- A total of 319,863 influenza vaccinations have been administered since the beginning of the 2026/27 programme to 01 November 2026.
- Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake 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 individuals aged 18-64 years ‘at risk’.
- Vaccine uptake in eligible children was highest in preschool children.
- Uptake was highest in health and social care workers employed in Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT).
2 Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programme 2026/27
The Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programme 2026/27 officially commenced in Northern Ireland on 01 October 2026. Younger eligible individuals were offered vaccination from September 2026. The vaccination programme is delivered by a number of providers including GP, community pharmacy, Health and Social Care Trusts and Trust school nursing teams. The total number of vaccinations administered to 01 November 2026 was 319,863. Influenza vaccine uptake in eligible adults in 2026/27 to date was highest in care home residents (51.1%) and individuals aged 65 years and over (47.4%). Uptake of influenza vaccine uptake in eligible children was highest in preschool school children at 24.9% (Figure 2.1).
Figure 2.1: Cumulative seasonal influenza vaccination uptake by eligible group in Northern Ireland, 2026/27 programme.
2.1 65 years and over
2.1.1 65 years and over by local government district
Vaccine uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over varied by LGD. Vaccine uptake is highest in Lisburn and Castlereagh (58%) and lowest in Fermanagh and Omagh (35.3%) (Figure 2.2).
Figure 2.2: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by Local Government District in Northern Ireland, 2026/27.
2.1.2 65 years and over by age band
Vaccine uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over improves with increasing age.. Vaccine uptake is highest in those aged 80 years and over (52.7%) and lowest in those aged 65-69 years (39.6%) (Figure 2.3).
Figure 2.3: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by age band in Northern Ireland, 2026/27.
2.1.3 65 years by Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measures (NIMDM) Decile
Vaccine uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over improves with increasing decile. Vaccine uptake increases from 47.4% in most deprived areas to 68.6% in least deprived areas. (Figure 2.4).
Figure 2.4: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measures Decile in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.
2.2 18-64 years ‘at risk’
2.2.1 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 (31.6%) and lowest in Fermanagh and Omagh (12.2%) (Figure 2.5).
Figure 2.5: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in individuals aged 18 to 64 years ‘at risk’ by Local Government District in Northern Ireland, 2026/27.
2.2.2 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 11.3% in those aged 18-24 years to 29.3% in those aged 60-64 years (Figure 2.6).
Figure 2.6: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in individuals aged 18 to 64 years ‘at risk’ by age band in Northern Ireland, 2026/27.
2.3 Care Home residents
2.3.1 Care Home residents by Trust
Vaccine uptake in care home residents varied across Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust area; ranging from 42% in Belfast HSC Trust (BHSCT) to 61.4% in Northern HSC Trust (NHSCT) (Figure 2.7).
Figure 2.7: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in care home residents by Trust in Northern Ireland, 2026/27.
2.4 Preschool children
2.4.1 Preschool children by Local Government District
Vaccine uptake in preschool children varied by LGD. Vaccine uptake was highest in Lisburn and Castlereagh (41.3%) and lowest in Fermanagh and Omagh (14.8%) and Derry City and Strabane (15.1%)(Figure 2.8).
Figure 2.8: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in preschool children by Local Government District in Northern Ireland, 2026/27.
2.5 All Trust employed health and social care workers
2.5.1 All Trust employed health and social care workers by Trust
In Northern Ireland, the offer of seasonal influenza vaccination in 2026/27 is to all health and social care workers including those without direct patient contact. Further information on eligibility criteria is included in Section 3: Eligibility for vaccinations. Estimated vaccine uptake in all Trust employed health and social care workers varied by HSC Trust. Estimated uptake was highest in Belfast HSC Trust (BHSCT, 26.2%). Estimated uptake was lowest in Southern HSC Trust (SHSCT, 13.4%) (Figure 2.9).
Figure 2.9: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in all Trust-employed health and social care workers in Northern Ireland, 2026/27.
2.5.2 All Trust employed health and social care workers by job role
Estimated uptake was highest in Medical and Dental job roles (52.6%) in Trust employed health and social care workers. Estimated uptake was lowest in those working in job roles within Social Services (8.1%) (Figure 2.10).
Figure 2.10: Seasonal influenza vaccination uptake in all Trust-employed health and social care workers in Northern Ireland, by job role, 2026/27.
3 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 againist 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 2026/2027.
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 2026/27 is to all health and social care workers including those without direct patient contact.
4 Methods
Data is presented to the end of the last reporting week, Sunday 01 November 2026.
All vaccinations are recorded on the Northern Ireland Vaccine Management System (VMS). Vaccinations administered as part of the schools influenza vaccination programme are recorded on the Northern Ireland Child Health System (CHS) which feeds into VMS.
Data is provisional and accurate at the time of extraction. Data lags exist between date of administration of the vaccine and date of recording on VMS or CHS.
Eligible groups are 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.
4.1 Definitions and data sources
Vaccine uptake (%) is defined as the number of vaccinations administered (numerator) divided by the eligible population (denominator). Vaccine uptake is included in this report for those eligible groups in which a denominator is available.
Seasonal influenza vaccination is defined as any vaccination recorded on the Northern Ireland Vaccine Management System (VMS) administered from 01 September 2026 to 31 March 2027.
4.1.1 Adult vaccinations by age group
Age for adult vaccinations is based on age at the end of the programme, 31 March 2027. The age group based population is based on the NISRA mid-year estimate (2025).
The Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure (NIMDM) deciles were assigned based on the Super Output Area (SOA) level results from Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure 2017 (NIMDM2017) | Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Each SOA was categorised one to ten with one being the most deprived and ten being the least deprived.
4.1.2 At risk individuals
Individuals ‘at risk’ are determined using the reason for vaccination ‘at risk’ or ‘immunosuppressed’, as populated on the VMS. The population ‘at risk’ is determined using data from the national General Practice Intelligence Platform (GPIP) extracted at the beginning of the programme. Vaccine uptake for the adult ‘at risk’ population is estimated in this report.
4.1.3 Preschool children
Preschool children are those aged two to four years on 01 September 2026, i.e. those born between 02/07/2022 and 01/09/2024. This population is determined using data from CHS extracted at the beginning of the programme.
4.1.4 School-aged children
Primary school children are those in primary years 1 to 7 during the programme, i.e. those born between 02/07/2015 and 01/07/2022. Post primary school children are those in years 8 to 12 during the programme, i.e. those born between 02/07/2010 and 01/07/2015. The Department of Education collects data annually on the number of pupils in schools in Northern Ireland, this school census data is used to estimate the population of primary and post primary school children. The latest available data is 2025/26.
4.1.5 Care home
Care home residents are those recorded as a care home resident with a valid RQIA care home registration number on VMS. The care home resident population is based on the beds occupied reported in the Northern Ireland RQIA Census of Bed Availability in Registered Care Homes in Northern Ireland (December 2023). Care home staff are those aged under 75 years and recorded as care home staff on VMS. The care home staff population is based on the latest data submission from care homes on the RQIA web portal in August 2023.
5 Supplementary tables
Table 1: Number of influenza vaccinations and vaccination uptake by eligible group in Northern Ireland, 2026/27 programme.
Eligible group | Number vaccinated | Population | Vaccine uptake (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
65 years and over | 168,913 | 356,485 | 47.4 |
18-64 years 'at risk' | 55,963 | 265,026 | 21.1 |
Care Home residents | 6,895 | 13,490 | 51.1 |
All Trust employed HSCWs | 15,527 | 72,700 | 21.4 |
Preschool children | 10,448 | 41,941 | 24.9 |
Primary School children | 37,664 | 174,778 | 21.5 |
Post Primary School children | 20,707 | 126,872 | 16.3 |
Special School children | 1,239 | 7,729 | 16.0 |
Table 2: Number of influenza vaccinations and vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by Local Government District in Northern Ireland, 2026/27 programme
LGD | Number vaccinated | Population | Vaccine uptake (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Antrim and Newtownabbey | 14,756 | 27,128 | 54.4 |
Ards and North Down | 18,245 | 39,191 | 46.6 |
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 19,354 | 38,626 | 50.1 |
Belfast | 27,492 | 54,684 | 50.3 |
Causeway Coast and Glens | 12,784 | 29,788 | 42.9 |
Derry City and Strabane | 12,942 | 26,538 | 48.8 |
Fermanagh and Omagh | 8,367 | 23,722 | 35.3 |
Lisburn and Castlereagh | 16,666 | 28,728 | 58.0 |
Mid Ulster | 9,596 | 24,928 | 38.5 |
Mid and East Antrim | 12,246 | 29,473 | 41.5 |
Newry, Mourne and Down | 16,222 | 33,679 | 48.2 |
Table 3: Number of influenza vaccinations and vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by age band in Northern Ireland, 2026/27 programme.
Age Band | Number vaccinated | Population | Vaccine uptake (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
65-69 | 41,381 | 104,591 | 39.6 |
70-74 | 40,821 | 84,477 | 48.3 |
75-79 | 36,494 | 72,152 | 50.6 |
80+ | 50,217 | 95,265 | 52.7 |
Table 4: Number of influenza vaccinations and vaccination uptake in individuals aged 65 years and over by Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measures Decile in Northern Ireland, 2025/26. in Northern Ireland, 2025/26.
NIMDMDecile | People | Population | Vaccine uptake (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10,879 | 22,967 | 47.4 |
2 | 13,659 | 27,610 | 49.5 |
3 | 14,889 | 30,328 | 49.1 |
4 | 17,378 | 33,564 | 51.8 |
5 | 18,278 | 35,091 | 52.1 |
6 | 17,293 | 32,782 | 52.8 |
7 | 18,346 | 33,442 | 54.9 |
8 | 21,547 | 34,564 | 62.3 |
9 | 21,468 | 33,341 | 64.4 |
10 | 24,865 | 36,251 | 68.6 |
Table 5: Number of influenza vaccinations and vaccination uptake in individuals aged 18 -64 years and over by Local Government District in Northern Ireland, 2026/27 programme.
LGD | Number vaccinated | Population | Vaccine uptake (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Antrim and Newtownabbey | 5,068 | 20,159 | 25.1 |
Ards and North Down | 5,773 | 21,717 | 26.6 |
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 7,301 | 29,885 | 24.4 |
Belfast | 9,860 | 48,673 | 20.3 |
Causeway Coast and Glens | 3,518 | 19,035 | 18.5 |
Derry City and Strabane | 4,128 | 23,054 | 17.9 |
Fermanagh and Omagh | 1,958 | 16,009 | 12.2 |
Lisburn and Castlereagh | 6,380 | 20,194 | 31.6 |
Mid Ulster | 3,419 | 19,947 | 17.1 |
Mid and East Antrim | 2,706 | 19,457 | 13.9 |
Newry, Mourne and Down | 5,716 | 24,939 | 22.9 |
Table 6: Number of influenza vaccinations and vaccination uptake in individuals aged 18 -64 years and over by age band in Northern Ireland, 2026/27 programme.
Age Band | Number vaccinated | Population | Vaccine uptake (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
18-24 | 2,043 | 18,136 | 11.3 |
25-29 | 2,038 | 14,519 | 14.0 |
30-34 | 2,754 | 17,554 | 15.7 |
35-39 | 3,617 | 21,176 | 17.1 |
40-44 | 4,405 | 25,235 | 17.5 |
45-49 | 5,513 | 29,273 | 18.8 |
50-54 | 7,369 | 34,909 | 21.1 |
55-59 | 11,559 | 47,256 | 24.5 |
60-64 | 16,665 | 56,968 | 29.3 |
Table 7: Number of influenza vaccinations and vaccination uptake in care home residents by Trust in Northern Ireland, 2026/27 programme.
Trust | Number vaccinated | Population | Vaccine uptake (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
BHSCT | 1,125 | 2,680 | 42.0 |
NHSCT | 2,163 | 3,521 | 61.4 |
SEHSCT | 1,608 | 3,201 | 50.2 |
SHSCT | 964 | 2,224 | 43.3 |
WHSCT | 1,025 | 1,864 | 55.0 |
Table 8: Number of influenza vaccinations and vaccination uptake in preschool aged children by LGD in Northern Ireland, 2026/27 programme.
LGD | Number vaccinated | Population | Vaccine uptake (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Antrim and Newtownabbey | 860 | 3,132 | 27.5 |
Ards and North Down | 1,013 | 2,997 | 33.8 |
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 1,331 | 5,126 | 26.0 |
Belfast | 1,777 | 6,909 | 25.7 |
Causeway Coast and Glens | 570 | 2,916 | 19.5 |
Derry City and Strabane | 521 | 3,452 | 15.1 |
Fermanagh and Omagh | 395 | 2,671 | 14.8 |
Lisburn and Castlereagh | 1,403 | 3,398 | 41.3 |
Mid Ulster | 743 | 3,926 | 18.9 |
Mid and East Antrim | 779 | 2,859 | 27.2 |
Newry, Mourne and Down | 991 | 4,374 | 22.7 |
Table 9: Number of influenza vaccinations and vaccination uptake in health and social care workers by Trust in Northern Ireland, 2026/27 programme.
Trust | Number vaccinated | Population | Vaccine uptake (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
BHSCT | 5,911 | 22,574 | 26.2 |
NHSCT | 2,477 | 12,374 | 20.0 |
NIAS | 321 | 1,647 | 19.5 |
SEHSCT | 2,652 | 11,494 | 23.1 |
SHSCT | 1,676 | 12,550 | 13.4 |
WHSCT | 2,490 | 12,061 | 20.6 |
Table 10: Number of influenza vaccinations and vaccination uptake in health and social care workers by job role in Northern Ireland, 2026/27 programme.
Job role | Number vaccinated | Population | Vaccine uptake (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Admin & Clerical | 2,278 | 14,787 | 15.4 |
Ambulance | 278 | 1,357 | 20.5 |
Estates | 212 | 844 | 25.1 |
Medical & Dental | 3,197 | 6,082 | 52.6 |
Nursing & Midwifery | 4,926 | 25,522 | 19.3 |
Professional & Tech | 2,815 | 11,749 | 24.0 |
Social Services | 807 | 10,023 | 8.1 |
Support Services | 1,138 | 6,576 | 17.3 |