FLU SEASON 2025-2026

Last flu season saw the virus hit the entire country hard, with cases skyrocketing over the festive season, and the NHS struggling to cope with demand from the impact of an increase in cases of flu, Covid, norovirus and RSV. As a result many HR departments are looking to book clinics for their organisation in advance, to protect their staff from the flu season this year.

As confirmed by the NHS, the best way to reduce the risk of catching flu is through vaccination. Analysis found that getting vaccinated cuts the risk of being hospitalised by flu by a quarter in adults aged 65 years and older, a third in other adults and reduces the risk two-thirds in children.

This is on top of the collective protection we all get from the vaccines reducing flu transmission. It’s a quick, easy and cost-effective alternative that shows your employees you care. Having the vaccine also helps relieve pressure on the NHS, which continues to operate under significant strain during winter in particular.

PROTECTION ALL WINTER

Staff absences are costly and put pressure on workers left to pick up the slack. Employees with flu are likely to be contagious a day before symptoms develop, and often take up to two weeks off work, costing businesses millions in lost revenue every year. Autumn vaccination will help cover employees over the flu season, which can run through to February.

Booking our on-site flu vaccination service is cost effective for your workforce, and your business, by reducing days off sick and widespread illness. It is also proven to improve staff morale and convenient as Citi Health nurses will come to your place of work at a date convenient to you in the Autumn.

FLU VACCINE recommendations FOR 2025-2026

The recommendations for the viral composition of influenza vaccines for the 2025–2026 influenza season in the northern hemisphere have been announced by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

WHO organizes these consultations with an advisory group of experts who analyse influenza virus surveillance data. The recommendations issued are used by the national vaccine regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies to develop, produce, and license influenza vaccines for the following influenza season. 

Maintaining the Cold Chain

Vaccines are kept between a recommend temperature +2.C and +8.C to maintain their effectiveness which is referred to as maintaining the cold chain. At Citi Health to ensure we maintain the cold chain we transport our vaccines using a validated insulated vaccine carrier bag and we monitor the temperature. The nurse is responsible for transporting the flu vaccines to the flu clinics and will only bring the required amount of vaccines to maintain the cold chain to avoid any wastage of vaccines. At the end of the clinic the nurse will take all clinical waste and sharps with them and leave the room as they found it, and respecting the space you provided for the clinic.

Which flu vaccines do you offer at your clinics?

Trivalent Vaccine

For this coming season, WHO has recommended trivalent vaccines which have three strains  - two A-type flu viruses and one for a B-type flu virus. This is based on strains currently circulating, where they were distributed across the world and whether current antiviral drugs or the previous season’s vaccines worked against them.

Trivalent vaccine strains for use in the 2025–2026 northern hemisphere influenza season contain the following strains: 

Egg-based vaccines 

1.           an A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus

2.           an A/Croatia/10136RV/2023 (H3N2)-like virus

3.           a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.

 Cell culture-recombinant protein- or nucleic acid-based vaccines

1.           an A/Wisconsin/67/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus

2.           an A/District of Columbia/27/2023 (H3N2)-like virus

3.           a B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus. 

TIVe = egg based vaccine

Egg based vaccines are manufactured by cultivating the virus strains in eggs. This process has been in production for 70 years to make the inactivated (killed) vaccine, known as the flu shot, and is licensed from the age of 6 months. The ovalbumin content is less than 0.05 micrograms per 0.5 ml dose.

TIVr = recombinant vaccine

TIVr = Sanofi Supemtek TIVr ( trivalent influenza vaccine) recombinant vaccine is the only vaccine prepared directly from a genetic sequence. The ovalbumin content micrograms/dose is none and the vaccine aligns 100% to an exact genetic match to the WHO target strains. The vaccine is licensed from the age of 18 years.

Citihealth will offer the trivalent vaccine TIVe to clients as standard, and we can order on request the non-egg based vaccines TIVr sold in multiples of 10 (which is suitable for vegans/anyone with an egg allergy) 10% vaccine refund does not apply to TIVr vaccines. 

Citi Health GEtS TEAMS VACCINATED EFFICIENTLY

At Citi Health our experienced team offers a complete service which allows you to vaccinate your workforce easily for the upcoming flu season, on-site at their place of work.

We offer

• An online employee booking service

• Vaccination clinics in the workplace

• Dates from mid September 2025 until February 2026

• Nationwide

• Available 7 days a week including evening appointments

• Bookings can also be made in our Barbican clinic

• We operate an express service: we can vaccinate 30 staff in an hour; up to 240 per day

• Our prices are extremely competitive

• Our nurses have over 20 years’ experience

• We provide a consistent point of contact throughout the service

• We guarantee full pre-and-post support service with a nurse