Londoners can get a flu jab at a football match, a market stall or a shopping centre this week as the NHS launches its Big Week of Vaccinations, a push to protect the capital before winter takes hold. The drive runs from 9 to 16 November 2026, with 2.1 million vaccination slots available through the NHS App or by calling 119.

Mobile vaccination buses are touring London, and same-day walk-in jabs are available at around 1,700 sites. Pharmacy teams will offer flu jabs at football matches, including at Arsenal and Fulham, while the vaccination bus route this week takes in Camberwell, Deptford Market and Bromley Football Club, as well as Guy's Hospital, Princess Royal University Hospital, Catford Broadway and Welling Football Club.

Where to get a jab

Events are running in community venues across the city, from libraries and gurdwaras to town halls and health centres. In north east London alone, sessions are listed in Barking and Dagenham, Hackney, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest, with many needing no appointment. Pharmacies across London also offer the free NHS flu vaccine to eligible people, and the NHS advises checking ahead, as some sites can run out of stock on busy days.

Children are also covered. The South London Children and Young People's Community Immunisations Service is extending the drop-in clinics that ran over half-term, and school flu sessions are under way across the capital. More than 6,000 under-fives in England were hospitalised with flu in 2022-23, a reminder that flu is not simply a bad cold.

Why the NHS is pushing now

Flu cases are already climbing. Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust recorded 35 flu cases in October 2026, three times the 11 seen in the same month last year, while St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust saw hospitalised flu patients rise from eight in September to 15 in October. Nationally, flu hospital admissions in England rose 12.7 per cent in the week to 1 November.

Dr Chris Streather, NHS London's medical director, said: “Flu can make anyone seriously ill, and every winter it puts real pressure on our hospitals. Last winter, more than 300 hospital beds a day in London were filled by people with flu.” He added: “The easiest way to protect yourself and your family is to get your jab now, before winter sets in. If you’re eligible, please don’t wait.”

Who can get a free flu jab

The free NHS flu vaccine is available to people aged 65 and over, pregnant women, people with long-term health conditions, carers and frontline health and care workers, as well as children in certain age groups. The NHS advises getting vaccinated by the end of November, because it takes at least two weeks for protection to build. Appointments can be booked online, through the NHS App or by calling 119, and walk-in sessions are listed on the London Winter Wellness events page and on local NHS pages such as NHS North East London.