Latest flu vaccine ordering advice for 2021-22

NHS England has issued further advice for flu vaccine ordering for next season, having confirmed it expects all over-50s to be included again as part of an expanded campaign.

Of note, the QIVr (Flublok Quadrivalent) vaccine will be reimbursed this time, although it can only be ordered in ‘limited quantities’. Read our summary and you can download the details in the flu reimbursement letter here.

Practices are advised to review JCVI advice on the use of influenza vaccines in the UK for the 2021/22 season and order vaccines in line with NHS England and NHS Improvement reimbursement guidance as follows.

Vaccines reimbursed   

The following JCVI-advised vaccines will be reimbursed as part of the NHS Annual Influenza Vaccination Programme for adults in 2021/22.

Those aged 65 years and over

• aQIV
• QIVc/QIVr* (where aQIV is not available)

Those aged 50 to 64 years

• QIVc/QIVr
• QIVe (where QIVc or QIVr is not available)

At-risk adults, including pregnant women, aged 18 to less than 65 years

• QIVc/QIVr*
• QIVe (where QIVc or QIVr is not available).

(aQIV = adjuvanted quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine; QIVc = quadrivalent influenza cell-culture vaccine; QIVe = Quadrivalent influenza egg-culture vaccine)

*NB QIVr (recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine, brand name Flublok Quadrivalent) was not initially eligible for reimbursement under the NHS Annual Influenza Vaccination programme for 2021/22. However, doses of QIVr are now available to order in limited quantities and will be reimbursed. Practices should liaise with the manufacturer, Sanofi, to discuss their order.

JCVI also considered the use of QIV-HD (High-Dose Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine) in those aged 65, but owing to its high list price NHS England confirmed this vaccine would not be eligible for reimbursement this year.

Uptake ambitions – vaccine ordering and planning

Practices are advised to plan their flu vaccine ordering to ‘at least equal the high levels of uptake achieved in 2020/21’.

For frontline healthcare workers, this means aiming to achieve a 100% offer of vaccination to all appropriate staff groups.

A summary of uptake rates in each group for 2020/21 is provided below.

2021/22 uptake expectations and achievements for each cohort as of 24 March 2021

*based on the higher 3 year old uptake

The advice states thatpractices should work closely with their CCG flu lead and their regional Public Health Commissioning Team to ensure effective planning and delivery of the programme.

It also highlights that GP practices and community pharmacies should work closely with their primary care networks (PCNs) to maximise vaccine coverage, minimise vaccine wastage and ‘support the achievement of incentives within their respective contracts’.

PCN coverage targets incentivised through the Investment and Impact Fund (IIF) are detailed separately here.