Seasonal Vaccination Guide: What to Get and When

Do you ever walk past a pharmacy poster about flu jabs, COVID boosters, or RSV vaccines and think you’ll sort it out later, only to forget by the time the season arrives? This seasonal vaccination guide explains which vaccines are offered throughout the year, who they’re recommended for, and the best time to book. Once you’ve got the timing sorted, protecting yourself becomes much easier.

Already due for your Vaccines? Southdowns Pharmacy Group can check your eligibility and book you in during the same visit, so keep it in mind as you read on.

What Do We Mean By “Seasonal” Vaccines?

Not every vaccine follows a calendar. Some are given once in childhood, some depend on your age, and some are tied to a specific season every single year. A proper seasonal vaccination guide separates the two so you are not left guessing.

• Seasonal vaccines are offered during a set window each year, usually to reduce illness during high-risk months
• Age-based vaccines are offered once you reach a certain birthday, regardless of the time of year
• Pregnancy vaccines are timed around specific weeks of your pregnancy, not the calendar season
• Some vaccines, like flu, need repeating every single year because protection fades and strains change
• Others, like shingles, are a one-off or a short catch-up window rather than an annual event

Flu Vaccine: The Annual Autumn Essential

Flu is the most familiar seasonal vaccine, and for good reason. It circulates every winter in the UK, typically from October through to April or May.

• Best given in autumn, ideally before flu starts spreading widely in your community
• Free on the NHS if you are 65 or over, pregnant, a carer, or living with a long-term health condition
• Available privately at Southdowns Pharmacy Group if you do not meet NHS eligibility
• Needs repeating every year, since immunity fades and the vaccine formula changes to match circulating strains
• Same-day appointments are usually available across our all four branches (Davies, Bosmere, Emsworth & Rowlands Castle Pharmacy )

COVID-19 Booster: Spring and Winter Seasons

Unlike flu, the COVID-19 vaccine runs on two separate seasonal windows rather than one long stretch. This trips a lot of people up, since they assume one autumn dose covers the whole year.

• A spring season protects those at highest risk, typically people aged 75 and over, care home residents, and anyone immunosuppressed
• An autumn or winter season is offered more widely, aligning with the flu programme so both can often be given together
• Southdowns Pharmacy Group offers both a free NHS COVID vaccine for eligible patients and a private Pfizer vaccine for anyone outside the eligibility criteria
• Booking your COVID-19 vaccine alongside your flu jab in one visit saves you an extra trip
• Eligibility criteria are set by the NHS and can change between seasons, so it is always worth double checking

RSV Vaccine: Who Needs It and When

RSV protection works a little differently again, since it is based on your age or your pregnancy stage rather than a season on the calendar.

• Offered to adults aged 75 and over as a single vaccine, not an annual repeat
• Offered to pregnant women from 28 weeks, to protect the baby in its first months of life
• Available at Southdowns Pharmacy Group branches, including Emsworth and Davies Pharmacy
• Unlike flu, there is no need to repeat this one every year once you have had it
• If you turned 75 recently and missed it, it is worth asking your pharmacist whether you can still catch up

Which Vaccines Are Seasonal vs Ongoing?

This is the part most guides skip entirely, and it is honestly the most useful bit of any seasonal vaccination guide to understand. Some vaccines only make sense to plan around a season, while others simply need booking whenever you become eligible.

• Flu and COVID-19 boosters are genuinely seasonal, tied to autumn, winter or spring windows
• Shingles vaccination opens once you turn 65, or between 70 and 79, rather than repeating yearly
• RSV vaccination is age or pregnancy triggered, not tied to a season at all
• HPV vaccination for younger people follows a school-age schedule rather than a seasonal one
• Knowing which category your next vaccine falls into stops you from either rushing unnecessarily or missing a genuine seasonal window

Annual Vaccine Checklist

Here is where it all comes together. Use this annual vaccine checklist as a quick reference for what applies to you and when to act on it.

Vaccine	Who it’s for	Best timing
Flu	Ages 65+, pregnant, carers, long-term conditions, or anyone wanting private cover	Autumn, before flu season peaks
COVID-19	Ages 75+, care home residents, immunosuppressed, plus wider groups in autumn/winter	Spring and autumn/winter seasons
RSV	Ages 75+ and pregnant women from 28 weeks	Once eligible; no annual repeat needed
Shingles	Ages 65 or turning 65, and ages 70 to 79	Once eligible, within your age window
HPV	Young people around ages 12 to 13, with catch-up available	School-age programme, with catch-up as needed

Stay Ahead of the Season: Book at Southdowns

However busy life gets, keeping a mental note of this seasonal vaccination guide means you are never caught off guard by a season you did not plan for. Southdowns Pharmacy Group offers flu, COVID-19, RSV and shingles vaccinations across Emsworth, Havant, Leigh Park and Rowlands Castle, with same-day appointments and no GP referral needed for most services. A quick chat with your pharmacist is all it takes to find out exactly which vaccines apply to you this year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get my flu jab and COVID-19 vaccine on the same day?

Yes, many pharmacies including Southdowns can offer both during one visit, subject to eligibility and stock.

Do I need to repeat the RSV vaccine every year?

No, once you have had it as an eligible adult or during pregnancy, it is not an annual vaccine.

What if I missed my shingles vaccine window?

Ask your pharmacist directly, since eligibility is based on your age and there may still be a catch-up option available.

Is the seasonal immunization schedule the same every year?

Not exactly. Eligibility groups and start dates are reviewed by the NHS each year, so it’s worth checking before assuming last year’s schedule still applies.