Flu Vaccination: Benefits, Side Effects & How to Get It

Flu is more than a bad cold. It can cause serious illness and complications, particularly in older people, pregnant women and people with certain long-term health conditions.

Annual flu vaccination is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of influenza and its potentially serious consequences.

Below, we look at the main benefits of flu vaccination, possible side effects and how to get vaccinated in the UK.

What Are the Benefits of Flu Vaccination?

The flu vaccine is updated regularly because circulating influenza viruses change over time. Its effectiveness therefore varies from one flu season to another, and vaccination cannot guarantee that you will not catch the flu.

Nevertheless, research shows several important benefits:

1. Reduces Your Risk of Getting the Flu

The most obvious flu jab benefit is a lower likelihood of developing influenza. Effectiveness depends on factors including your age, health, and how closely the vaccine matches the viruses circulating that season.

During well-matched seasons, vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of needing medical attention for flu by around 40–60%.

Not sure whether your symptoms are influenza or simply a cold? Learn about common cold and flu symptoms and treatments.

2. Reduces Flu-Related Hospitalisations

Preventing infection is not the vaccine's only potential benefit. Flu vaccination can also reduce the risk of flu-related hospitalisation, which is particularly important during the winter months when flu can place additional pressure on healthcare services.

Research has consistently shown that flu vaccination can reduce the risk of influenza-related hospitalisation. For example:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 studies found vaccination to be 53.3% effective against laboratory-confirmed influenza-related hospitalisation in children.
• Another multi-country study conducted over five flu seasons found vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation to be 41% among adults aged 60 and over.

3. Can Make the Flu Less Severe If You Still Catch It

The flu vaccine cannot prevent every infection, so it is still possible to catch the flu after being vaccinated. However, its benefits do not necessarily disappear if you become infected.

Research suggests that, among people who develop flu, prior vaccination may reduce the severity of illness and the risk of particularly serious outcomes.

4. May Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Complications

Influenza places additional stress on the body and can be particularly concerning for people with cardiovascular disease.

A meta-analysis of six randomised clinical trials involving 9,001 adults found that flu vaccination was associated with a 34% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, with particularly pronounced benefits among people who had recently experienced acute coronary syndrome.

You can learn more about the risk factors and prevention of heart disease in our related guide.

5. Protects Pregnant Women & Their Babies

The benefits of the flu vaccine during pregnancy extend beyond the mother. Pregnant women are among those offered annual NHS flu vaccination because they have an increased risk of becoming seriously ill with influenza.

Vaccination also allows protective antibodies to pass from mother to baby. Clinical research has demonstrated protection against confirmed influenza in both vaccinated pregnant women and their young infants, who are too young to receive their own flu vaccination during the first six months of life.

If you're preparing for pregnancy or already expecting, you can also read about important vitamins and minerals during pregnancy!

6. Helps Protect People Around You

By reducing your likelihood of becoming infected with the flu, vaccination can also reduce opportunities for influenza to spread to other people.

This is especially valuable around people at greater risk of serious illness, including:

• Babies
• Older adults
• People with weakened immune systems or certain long-term conditions

What Are the Side Effects of Flu Vaccination?

For most people, flu vaccination side effects are mild and short-lived, usually improving within 1–2 days.

The most common include:

• Pain or soreness around the injection site
• A slightly raised temperature
• Aching muscles or body aches

Serious allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis are very rare, and vaccination staff are trained to recognise and treat them.

Importantly, the injected flu vaccines used in the UK cannot give you flu, because they do not contain live influenza viruses. For more common misconceptions, explore our flu myth-busting guide.

How to Get the Flu Vaccine

In the UK, the flu vaccine is offered through the NHS each autumn and winter to eligible groups.

If eligible, depending on your circumstances, you may receive your vaccine through:

• Your GP surgery
• A pharmacy offering NHS flu vaccination
• Your maternity service (if you’re pregnant)
• Your care home (if you live in a care home)
• Your employer, particularly if you are an eligible frontline health or social care worker

Who Should Get the Flu Vaccine

For the 2026–27 flu season, certain groups are eligible to receive the flu vaccine free through the NHS. These include:

• Pregnant women
• People aged 65 and over
• Adults aged 18 to under 65 in clinical risk groups
• People living in long-stay residential care homes
• Close contacts of people with weakened immune systems
• People aged 16 and over experiencing homelessness, including rough sleepers and those staying in homeless hostels or night shelters
• Eligible frontline social care workers
• Main carers for an older or disabled person
• Children aged 2 or 3 years old
• Children aged 6 months to under 18 years in clinical risk groups

Flu Vaccination — Conclusion

Flu vaccination provides benefits beyond simply reducing your chance of catching influenza.

It can reduce serious illness and hospitalisation, lessen the severity of breakthrough infections and provide valuable protection for vulnerable people, including pregnant women and young babies.

Ready to protect yourself this flu season? Book your appointment today and get your flu vaccine!