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School flu vaccine: the consent form, and what to know
Debs · 13 October 2026
The short answer
In England, children from Reception to Year 11 are offered the flu vaccine at school in the autumn term, usually as a nasal spray. The school-age immunisation team sends a consent form, often online, with a deadline: if it isn't returned, your child won't be vaccinated on the day. You can ask for the injection instead on the form, for example if you'd rather avoid the porcine gelatine in the nasal spray. Children who miss it should be offered it at a community clinic.
Somewhere in the school emails this term is a link to a consent form for the flu vaccine. It looks like every other email, it has a deadline, and it's easy to miss. Miss it, and your child watches their class get a quick squirt up the nose while they sit it out. Here's what the school flu vaccine is, and what you need to do. (This post is a practical guide, not medical advice: the NHS website and your school nurse or GP have the details.)
Who gets the flu vaccine at school
According to the NHS, in England the children's flu vaccine is offered to all school-aged children from Reception to Year 11, at school, in the autumn term. Children aged 2 and 3 get it at their GP surgery or a pharmacy instead. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own programmes, so check NHS inform, your health board or the Public Health Agency.
- Reception to Year 11 in England, at school, in the autumn term.
- Usually a quick, painless nasal spray in each nostril.
- A consent form first, sent by the school-age immunisation team, often online.
- An injection instead, if you ask for it on the form or the spray isn't suitable.
The vaccine takes seconds. The consent form is the bit that takes organising.
Left: the form usually arrives by email through the school, from the immunisation team. Right: the day itself, which is worth knowing about in case your child is worried.
The consent form, the gelatine and the injection
The consent form usually comes as a link in a school email, from the local school-age immunisation team rather than the school itself. It asks about your child's health, allergies and asthma, and has a deadline, often a week or two before the vaccination day. If it isn't back in time, your child won't be vaccinated at school that day. Keep track of it like any other form: here's how to keep track of school emails.
The NHS says the nasal spray contains a small amount of gelatine from pigs (porcine gelatine). If that's a concern for your family, you can ask for the injected vaccine, which doesn't contain gelatine, on the consent form. The injection is also offered to children who can't have the nasal spray, for example because of a severe allergy, a severely weakened immune system or some types of asthma. If you're unsure, ask the immunisation team, the school nurse or your GP.
Can't find the form? Check the school emails, the class app and the school newsletter before you assume it never came.
Side effects, and if your child misses it
The NHS lists the common side effects of the nasal spray as a blocked or runny nose, loss of appetite, feeling tired and a headache, and they usually pass quickly. If your child is off school on vaccination day, or you missed the form, they should be offered the vaccine at a community clinic: the immunisation team will usually say how in their letter or email, or you can contact them. With so many apps and emails, it's no wonder forms go missing: here's how to get school apps in one place.
The school flu vaccine at a glance
For England, from the NHS website. Check the NHS page for the latest.
| What | What you do | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Reception to Year 11 | Look out for the consent form |
| How | Nasal spray, or an injection if needed | Ask for the injection on the form if you prefer it |
| When | At school, in the autumn term | Put vaccination day in the calendar |
| Missed it | A community clinic | Contact the immunisation team |
Mistakes we've all made
- Assuming the consent form is the same as last year's and doesn't need doing again.
- Filling it in for one child and forgetting the other.
- Missing the deadline because the email came from a name you didn't recognise.
- Not telling a nervous child it's happening, so it's a surprise on the day.
Forms with deadlines, caught for you
Debs, your own school admin assistant, reads the school's emails, including the ones from the immunisation team if you add them as a sender, and puts consent forms on your "Don't forget" list with a button straight to the form and a nudge before the deadline. Vaccination day goes on the family calendar, so both parents know. Debs doesn't give medical advice, and only keeps medical notes if you give separate, explicit consent. See everything Debs can do.
Questions parents ask
Which year groups get the flu vaccine at school?
In England, the NHS offers the flu vaccine at school to children from Reception to Year 11, usually in the autumn term. Children aged 2 and 3 get it at a GP surgery or pharmacy.
Is the school flu vaccine a nasal spray?
Usually, yes: a quick spray in each nostril. Children who can't have the nasal spray, or whose parents ask for it on the consent form, can have an injection instead.
Does the nasal flu vaccine contain pork gelatine?
The NHS says the nasal spray contains a small amount of porcine gelatine. An injected vaccine without gelatine is available; ask for it on the consent form.
What if my child missed the flu vaccine at school?
The NHS says children who miss it at school should be offered it at a community clinic. Contact your local school-age immunisation team.
What are the side effects of the nasal flu vaccine?
The NHS lists a blocked or runny nose, loss of appetite, feeling tired and a headache as common side effects. Speak to your GP or pharmacist if you're worried.