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Flu season 2026/27 · All four Oxford branches

Private flu jab 2026/27: £25, no waiting list.

Walk in or book the same vaccine the NHS uses – no eligibility rules, no waiting: £25, same-day, at Botley, Headington, Summertown and Deddington. One jab protects you through the December–February peak. Children have the painless nasal-spray version.

The NHS-standard flu jab, £25 – no eligibility rules, same-day at all four branches. Children get the nasal spray.

  • Pharmacist-administered, same-day appointments
  • This season’s trivalent, strain-matched flu vaccine
  • Children’s nasal spray (LAIV): no needle
  • Add a COVID-19 booster in the same visit and save £5
Book private - £25

Private flu jab

£25

Per dose, consultation included. Anyone can book: no eligibility questions.

OptionDetailsPrice
Flu jabPer dose · consultation included£25
Flu + COVIDAdd a COVID-19 booster in the same visit · save £5£119

Appointments open 1 October at all four branches.

Book private - £25

Think you may qualify for a free NHS jab (65+, pregnant, a long-term condition, carer)? Check NHS eligibility →

What £25 gets you

Everything included, nothing extra.

One price, one visit, done by a GPhC-registered pharmacist. No GP referral, no membership, no add-ons at the till.

A flu jab being given by a MediPill pharmacist

The same vaccine

This season’s trivalent flu vaccine: the same strain-matched vaccine used in the NHS programme, from the same licensed supply chain. The 2026/27 formulation has been updated to better match subclade K – the strain behind last winter’s early flu wave.

The consultation

A pharmacist checks your history, answers your questions and administers the jab: usually in and out inside ten minutes.

Any adult, any child

No eligibility rules at all. Children are welcome too, and receive the needle-free nasal spray where suitable.

Same-day, four branches

Book online for a guaranteed slot, or walk in when the vaccination room is free. Botley, Headington, Summertown and Deddington.

Might you qualify for a free NHS jab?

65+, pregnant, a long-term health condition, a carer, or a child aged 2–3? The NHS covers it: same vaccine, no charge.

Key dates

When to book your private jab.

1

1 October

Private bookings open at all four branches: £25, any adult or child, no eligibility questions.

2

Oct–Nov

The sweet spot. Protection builds in 10–14 days, so vaccinating now means you’re covered before flu peaks.

3

Dec–Feb

Peak flu season. Later is still worthwhile: the season runs into March and we vaccinate throughout.

About this season’s vaccine

Worth knowing before you book.

When is the best time?

October to November is ideal: protection takes 10–14 days to build, and flu peaks December–February. Last winter’s flu arrived more than a month early, so booking sooner rather than later is wise. Later is still worthwhile: the season runs to March.

How well does it work?

There’s still a chance you might get flu after getting vaccinated, but it’s likely to be milder and not last as long. Protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and complications like pneumonia is stronger than protection against catching it at all, especially in older adults.

Why every year?

Flu strains shift each season, so the vaccine is reformulated annually to match what’s circulating. Last year’s jab offers little protection against this winter’s strains.

What about children?

Children have the nasal-spray vaccine (LAIV): a quick squirt in each nostril, no needle. Most school-aged children are vaccinated at school; we catch up anyone who missed it from 1 December.

Two jabs, one visit

Add a COVID-19 booster and save £5.

Private COVID-19 (this season’s variant-matched vaccine) is £99: book it with your flu jab and pay £119 for both, one in each arm, same appointment. NHS COVID boosters remain free for over-75s, care-home residents and anyone immunosuppressed (6 months+).

Book flu + COVID - £119

NHS-eligible for a free COVID booster? Book on the NHS site →

Flu vs a cold

How to tell it’s flu.

Flu arrives fast and knocks you flat: a cold creeps in over a couple of days. Typical flu signs:

Sudden high fever

38°C or higher within a few hours of feeling unwell: colds rarely cause significant fever in adults.

Whole-body aches

Muscles and joints ache all over: often severe enough to keep you in bed for several days.

Exhaustion

Profound fatigue that can linger two to three weeks after the fever passes.

Dry chesty cough

Persistent and often worse at night: it can hang around after other symptoms fade.

Pounding headache

Frequently paired with sore eyes and sensitivity to light.

Loss of appetite

Together with a sore throat and, in children especially, sometimes nausea.

FAQs

Common questions.

Yes: both in the same appointment, one in each arm. It’s safe, saves a second trip, and booking them together saves you £5 (£119 for both privately). Weighing up the booster too? COVID booster 2026/27, NHS or private.

No. The private jab has no eligibility rules: any adult or child can book. If you think you might qualify for a free NHS jab, it’s worth checking first: the vaccine is the same. Full comparison: flu jab 2026/27, NHS or private.

October or November is ideal: protection builds in 10–14 days, ahead of the December–February peak. Schoolchildren and pregnant women can book free NHS flu jabs from early September; other NHS-eligible groups from October. Private bookings open 1 October.

Children have the nasal-spray vaccine (LAIV): no needle. Most school-aged children get it at school; we catch up anyone who missed it from 1 December, and younger children (2–3) are vaccinated here.

Usually a sore arm, mild tiredness or a slightly raised temperature for around 24 hours. Serious reactions are rare: the pharmacist stays with you and every branch is fully equipped.

Flu puts thousands of otherwise healthy adults in bed for a week each winter, and you can pass it to family who are more vulnerable. At £25 with no eligibility rules, most people consider it cheap insurance.

Not on the NHS. This season the free NHS flu vaccine is for people aged 65 and over, plus adults aged 18-64 with certain long-term conditions, pregnant women, carers, care home residents, people living with someone immunosuppressed, and frontline health and social care staff. If you are 50-64 and not in one of those groups, the private jab here is £25 at any of our four branches.

No – the injected flu jab is not a live vaccine. The NHS says the injected flu vaccines used in the UK “do not contain live flu viruses” and cannot give you flu. The children’s nasal spray is different: it is a live, weakened (attenuated) vaccine, which is how it works without a needle. Adults here have the injection; children aged 2 and over have the nasal spray, and we vaccinate 2 to 3 year olds and catch up school-age children who missed theirs from 1 December.

Four Oxford branches

Available at every branch.

All branches GPhC-registered.

Map of Oxfordshire showing the four MediPill branches
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Talk to us

Pick the closest branch.

Email or phone - we usually reply within the hour.

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Or walk in any time - every branch has a pharmacist on duty.