Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to inform, and (2) to encourage, individuals over the age of 50 to take up the free NHS flu vaccine.

To inform and encourage individuals over 50 years old to take up a free flu vaccine, NHS England and NHS Improvement have recommissioned the national call and recall service to complement local mechanisms targetting groups of eligible individuals, including 50 to 64 year olds, informing them of their flu vaccination eligibility and reminding them to make an appointment.

In addition, this year’s marketing campaign encourages eligible cohorts to book their flu vaccine without delay. Campaign advertising on broadcast media including terrestrial television, billboards, video on demand and radio will run across a nine week schedule, supported by digital and social media channels, activities aimed at multicultural audiences, stakeholder partnerships and public relations.