Skip to content
Go to abtrace.com
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Flu and Covid Vaccination Season 💉

Understanding the flu eligibility window and how Abtrace can help.

How Abtrace Helps You Stay Organised

From the 1st of August, Abtrace surfaces eligible patients ahead of the official eligibility window, giving you a head start on inviting and vaccinating. Use it to:

  • 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, gathering information on patients who either don't wish to receive the flu vaccine or have already had it elsewhere.

Managing Flu 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.
    i.e. September cohorts go overdue in September, and October cohorts go overdue in October.

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

Select your indications:

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

Select your tasks & status:

  • 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.

Want to get ahead of schedule? You can start sending invitations to this cohort from August to book in from September onwards 🗓️

B. Flu – Cohorts Eligible for Vaccination in October

Select your 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

Select your tasks & status:

  • 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.

Want to get ahead of schedule? You can start sending invitations to this cohort from August to book in from October onwards 🗓️

Once October is underway, both group A and B can be combined into one recall by simply selecting the below task.

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.

COVID Autumn/Winter Booster

Our COVID Autumn/Winter Booster 2026 rules will be live as of the 1st of August. Patients eligible for the vaccination will appear as:

  • Opportunistic (Amber) two months before they become eligible, starting from 1st of August
  • Overdue (Red) on the first day they become eligible i.e. on the 1st of October

 💡 Unlike flu, these rules are not enabled by default. To enable them, head over to Rules Management, search for Covid under the vaccination rules, and switch on the rules you’d like to use.

C. COVID – Cohorts Eligible for Vaccination from 1st of October

ISelect your indications:

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

Select your tasks & status:

  • 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.