Flu and Covid Vaccination Season 💉

Each year, patients become eligible for their flu and COVID vaccinations once the official eligibility window opens. This means:

• Patients can then be invited and vaccinated according to NHS guidelines.
• Messaging is timely and aligned with eligibility, helping avoid confusion or missed payments.
• Practices can confidently manage recalls and outreach throughout the season.

How Abtrace Helps You Stay Organised

A month before the 2026/27 flu season is underway, Abtrace provides tools to help you:

• Identify eligible patients using up-to-date vaccination rules.
• Send messages and manage recalls efficiently.
• Use advanced filters to target specific cohorts based on clinical criteria.
• Use the Flu Decline Questionnaire for mop up work, to gather information on patients who either do not wish to receive the flu vaccine or have already received it elsewhere.

Managing Patient Eligibility

Patients eligible for the flu vaccination will appear as:

• Opportunistic (Amber) from 1st August 2026.
• Overdue (Red) from the day they become eligible, until the end of March.

This helps you track and prioritise patients throughout the season, and send invitations prior to the eligibility window.

How to Get Started

You can manage recalls and send bulk messages for Flu and COVID using the Population Tab in the Proactive Monitoring Tool (PMT). Use filters like 'flu' or 'covid' to find relevant cohorts. You will find patients in both groups from 1st August 2026.

A. Flu – Cohorts Eligible for Vaccination in September

Indications:

• (Vaccination) Children aged 2–3 years at start of flu season
• (Vaccination) Pregnant women
• (Vaccination) Children aged < 18 + In Clinical Risk Group

Tasks:

• Influenza Vaccine
• Choose Opportunistic and Overdue

Once you've added any relevant exclusion criteria (e.g. Housebound), press +Add Recall and follow the steps to create a recall. This can be run throughout the flu season to invite patients who are eligible and have not yet completed their flu vaccination.

B. Flu – Cohorts Eligible for Vaccination in October

Indications:

• (Vaccination) 18–64 yrs and Immunosuppressed
• (Vaccination) 18–64 yrs and relevant clinical condition 
• (Vaccination) Flu ≥ 65
• (Vaccination) Obese BMI ≥ 40
• (Vaccination) Healthcare Worker
• (Vaccination) Flu Specific Code

Tasks:

• Influenza Vaccine
• Choose Opportunistic and Overdue

Once you've added any other exclusion criteria (e.g Housebound), press +Add Recall and follow the steps to create a recall that will run throughout the flu season.

Tasks:

• Influenza Vaccine
• Choose Opportunistic and Overdue

This encompasses all patients due for their flu vaccine, irrelevant of the eligibility cohort. Once complete, simply press +Add Recall and follow the steps to create a recall that will run throughout the flu season.

🔗 Here are some exclusion codes accepted – these will automatically exclude patients from being eligible for this recall.

📌 You can also view a list of patients who have already had their first flu invite by using the register: Indications: Influenza Vaccination Invite Sent

Once the season is underway, you can record formal declines/had vaccination elsewhere using the Flu Decline Questionnaire. This should be sent to all those who are outstanding and will help you record patient declines, or the site and date where they had their vaccination, if it is not already recorded in their EHR.

Managing Patient Eligibility

Our COVID Spring Booster 2026 rules are now live. Patients eligible for the vaccination will appear as:

• Opportunistic (Amber) one month before they become eligible.
• Overdue (Red) on the first day they become eligible when the vaccination can be given.

C. COVID – Cohorts Eligible for Vaccination from 13th April 

Indications:

• (Vaccination) Covid – Immunosuppressed
• (Vaccination) Covid – Care Home
• (Vaccination) Covid – ≥ 75

Tasks:

• Covid Vaccine
• Choose Opportunistic and Overdue

Once you've added any other exclusion/limiting criteria, press +Add Recall and follow the steps to create a recall that will run throughout the COVID season.

🔗 Check-out the exclusion codes accepted

👉 In short: Abtrace’s Flu and Covid rules help you manage patient outreach and vaccination efficiently throughout the season, ensuring timely communication and recall activity.