Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many children received flu vaccinations in school nurseries in the 2024–25 pilot run; and what plans they have to scale this initiative.

School based vaccination is provided by School Age Immunisation Services (SAISs). In January 2025, some SAIS providers trialled expanding their flu vaccination offer by running catch up clinics in nurseries located in primary schools. This was to encourage flu vaccine uptake for two to three year-olds who had not already been vaccinated via their general practices (GPs). As these were local pilots, delivered by some providers in Yorkshire and the East of England, NHS England does not hold this data nationally.

Ahead of the flu 2025/26 season, the SAIS Service Specification 2025/26 is currently being improved. This will enable SAIS providers to support flu vaccination for two to three year olds, in a variety of different settings, and any plans, supplementary to the core GP offer, will be based on if there is a need locally. Evaluations will be undertaken at a local level by NHS England’s regional commissioning teams as part of their contract and performance management.

This initiative aligns with broader efforts to strengthen the childhood vaccination offer and improve vaccine uptake, including exploring the role of community pharmacies, as outlined in the NHS Vaccination Strategy, and trialling the use of health visitors to administer childhood immunisations, thereby increasing access for underserved families across selected areas.