Autumn jabs after 65: flu, shingles, COVID-19 and RSV explained

Ask a room full of business owners in their fifties and sixties when they last took a week off sick and you will hear a lot of proud answers. “I never get ill.” “I can’t remember the last time.” “I don’t have time to be poorly.” It is a badge of honour for many people who have built something from scratch — and it is exactly why so many of them let their autumn vaccination letters sit unopened on the kitchen table.

This is Wellness Corner, so a word of caution first: I am not a doctor, and nothing here is medical advice. What I can do is set out, from NHS and UK Health Security Agency sources, who is offered which vaccine this autumn, and why it is worth a five-minute conversation with your GP surgery or pharmacist rather than a shrug.

Why “I never get ill” is not a plan

In a small business, the owner is often the person who signs things off, keeps the key clients happy and knows where everything is. A fortnight flat on your back with flu is not just unpleasant — it is two weeks of decisions waiting, quotes unsent and staff unsure who to ask. Shingles can be worse. For some people the rash clears but nerve pain lingers for months afterwards, a complication known as post-herpetic neuralgia. That is not something you can simply push through at your desk.

Being fit and busy does not change the fact that risk from these illnesses rises with age. That is why the NHS programmes are built around age groups rather than how healthy you feel.

What is on offer this autumn — and who for

The details below are for England, taken from nhs.uk and GOV.UK for the 2026 to 2027 season. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own programmes, and the shingles rules in particular can differ, so check your own nation’s NHS website if you live outside England.

The flu vaccine

The free NHS flu vaccine is offered to everyone aged 65 or over, including those who will turn 65 by 31 March 2027. It is also offered to people aged 18 to 64 with certain long-term health conditions, carers, people living in care homes and close contacts of people with a weakened immune system, among others. The main adult programme started on 1 October 2026 and runs until 31 March 2027.

If you are in your fifties or early sixties and in good health, you are probably not eligible for the free jab. But many high street and independent pharmacies offer a private flu vaccination for adults who do not qualify — a quick, walk-in or bookable appointment for a modest fee. For an owner who simply cannot afford to lose a fortnight in January, it is worth knowing about.

The COVID-19 autumn vaccine

For autumn 2026, the COVID-19 vaccine is offered to adults aged 75 and over (including those who will be 75 by 31 January 2027), residents in care homes for older adults, and people aged six months and over with a weakened immune system. The campaign runs to 31 January 2027. Eligibility is narrower than it was a few years ago, so if you are under 75 and healthy you are unlikely to be invited.

The shingles vaccine

This is the one people most often miss, because eligibility has changed. The vaccine now used is Shingrix, given as two doses six to twelve months apart. According to nhs.uk, you are eligible if:

• you turned 65 on or after 1 September 2023 — you become eligible on your 65th birthday
• you are aged 70 to 79 — everyone in this age group is eligible
• you are 18 or over with a severely weakened immune system

If you turned 65 before 1 September 2023, you become eligible when you turn 70. Eligibility generally runs until your 80th birthday, with the second dose possible up to your 81st. The NHS says that after 80, only people with a severely weakened immune system can have it. Crucially, you do not lose your place if you missed the original invitation — nhs.uk tells anyone in an eligible group who has not been contacted, or who declined and is still under 80, to speak to their GP surgery.

The RSV vaccine

Respiratory syncytial virus is a common cause of chest infections, and it can be serious in older adults. Since September 2024, the NHS has offered a single dose of RSV vaccine to people as they turn 75. From 1 April 2026, eligibility was widened: everyone aged 75 and over can now have it, with no upper age limit, along with all residents of care homes for older adults. Government guidance also says that from September 2026, people aged 65 to 74 with a weakened immune system or a long-term lung condition (other than well-controlled asthma) are being included. It is one dose, not an annual jab.

An illustration

Take a Sussex couple, invented purely to show how this plays out — call them David and Sarah. David is 72 and still runs the family engineering firm two days a week. Sarah is 66 and manages the lettings side of their small property portfolio.

David turned 65 well before September 2023, so he was not offered shingles then. When he turned 70 he became eligible, but the letter arrived during a busy spell and he put it to one side. He is still under 80, so he can simply ring his surgery and ask. He is also due a flu jab, but at 72 he is not yet in the COVID-19 group.

Sarah turned 65 after 1 September 2023, so she became eligible for shingles on her birthday. She qualifies for the free flu vaccine too. Neither of them is yet in the age group for RSV, although David will be when he turns 75.

Two people, one household, four different answers. That is why it pays to check rather than assume.

Notice too what a missed fortnight would mean for each of them. If David went down with shingles in the middle of a big contract, his works manager would be left fielding customer calls he is not used to handling. If Sarah were laid up with flu in January, rent reviews and tenant queries would pile up. Neither scenario is a disaster, but both are the kind of disruption a five-minute call to the surgery might help avoid.

The traps

• Assuming you missed the boat. Many people think that if they did not respond to a shingles letter, the offer has gone. On nhs.uk’s current rules, it has not, as long as you are still in an eligible group.
• Going by what a friend was told. Shingles eligibility depends on exactly when you turned 65, so two friends of the same age can be in different positions.
• Waiting for a letter. Invitations do not always arrive, or get lost in the post. The NHS expects you to come forward if you think you are eligible.
• Thinking RSV is only for 75 to 79. That was the original rule. Since April 2026 there is no upper age limit — worth knowing if you have parents in their eighties.
• Treating “not eligible” as “not available”. For flu, a private pharmacy jab is an option if you do not qualify on the NHS.

What to do this week

• Check the vaccination pages on nhs.uk for flu, COVID-19, shingles and RSV against your own age and date of birth.
• Ring your GP surgery or speak to your local pharmacist if you think you qualify and have not been invited — or if you have a health condition and are unsure.
• Use the NHS App, the NHS website or 119 to book flu and COVID-19 vaccinations where they are offered.
• If you are not eligible for a free flu jab, ask your pharmacy about a private appointment.
• Have the same conversation with older parents — particularly about RSV, now that it is open to everyone aged 75 and over.

Whether a particular vaccine is right for you is a question for your GP or pharmacist, who know your medical history. My only point is that “I never get ill” is a reason to be grateful, not a reason to skip the conversation.

A closing thought

The people who built a business on their own energy are often the last to protect it. Looking after your health is part of looking after everything you have worked for — your family, your team and the business you hope to pass on. A short call to the surgery this week is a small thing that can spare you a long, frustrating winter.

And if your health check-up prompts you to think about the rest of your planning, my door is open. Book a Discovery Call — 30 minutes, £30, credited against fees if you go on to instruct us — and we can talk through where your family and your business stand.