Flu Vaccination Programme Update - February 2026

Meeting: Trust Board – Public Meeting

Date: 11 February 2026

Report Title: Flu Vaccination Programme Update

Agenda Item: PUB26/02/4.4

Author: Rachel Tremble, Senior Executive Business Support Manager

Lead Director: Marika Stephenson, Chief People Officer & Deputy CEO

Purpose:

Assurance:

Link to Strategic Risk:

Equality Impact Assessment: |No negative impact identified|

Previously considered by: This paper has not been previously considered by any Trust Board or Committee.

Purpose: This paper provides the Public Board with an update on the delivery and progress of the 2025 Flu Vaccination Campaign.

Recommendation: It is recommended that the Public Board notes the contents of this paper and the accompanying slides at Appendix 1 for information and discussion.

Executive Summary:

This paper provides the Public Board with an update on the delivery, outcomes, and learning from the 2025 Flu Vaccination Campaign, which commenced on 1 October 2025 and was delivered in line with NHSE guidance as a flu only programme.

The campaign achieved a significant improvement in vaccination uptake, increasing coverage by approximately 30 percentage points compared with 2024, with 52% of all staff and 50% of frontline staff vaccinated by 31 December 2025. This improvement reflects strengthened leadership engagement, integration of vaccination delivery into winter planning and LAM accountability, and the successful implementation of the Vaccination Track system to support communication, reporting, and campaign management.

Delivery was supported by 122 trained vaccinators, including the Occupational Health team, alongside a range of accessible delivery models such as welfare wagons, walk around clinics, and community provider options. Engagement with Vaccination Track reached 76% of staff, providing improved visibility of uptake, declines, and vaccinations received elsewhere.

Performance varied across the Trust. Norfolk and Waveney achieved consistently high uptake, supported by strong local leadership and proactive engagement approaches, while Bedfordshire and Luton remained an area of lower uptake, with feedback indicating vaccine hesitancy and mistrust among staff. Uptake was also lower among younger staff cohorts, particularly those aged 26-30, representing the largest staff group.

Despite improved vaccination coverage, the Trust experienced a significant increase in cough, cold and flu related sickness absence during Q3 2025/26. This aligns with the nationally reported exceptionally severe flu season, characterised by increased transmissibility and longer recovery periods, and highlights the continued impact of external factors beyond the Trust’s control.

Overall, the campaign demonstrates that focused leadership, improved systems, and targeted engagement can deliver material improvements in vaccination uptake. However, variation in uptake, ongoing vaccine hesitancy, and rising winter sickness absence underline the importance of early planning, targeted communications, and continued system improvements to further strengthen workforce resilience in future winter periods.

Introduction / Background:

The 2025 Flu Vaccination Programme commenced on 1 October 2025. In line with NHSE guidance, the Trust delivered a Flu Vaccination-only programme this year. Flu vaccinations were made available to all EEAST staff, including both patient-facing and non patient facing roles.

Programme Launch and Ambition The programme launched with the ambition to increase flu vaccination uptake from 22% in 2024 (1,803 staff) to 60% in 2025 (4,333 staff vaccinated either by EEAST or external providers).

Vaccinator Capacity and Vaccine Stock A total of 122 vaccinators were onboarded, including the in house Occupational Health (OH) Team. An initial 2,500 vaccine doses were ordered, with flexibility to place further orders to support increased uptake in line with programme ambitions.

Operational Improvements Several improvements were implemented to support programme delivery, including:

• Expanded vaccination coverage across Trust sites
• Enhanced recording and management information systems

Delivery Methods A range of delivery approaches were utilised to maximise accessibility:

• Welfare Wagons deployed to Emergency Departments for on site vaccination
• Walk around clinics delivered in Trust hubs and stations

Technology The Trust utilised Vaccination Track, a digital system currently used by 25 other NHS Trusts, to manage bookings, record outcomes, and support reporting.

The 2025 Flu Vaccination Programme commenced on 1 October 2025. In line with NHSE guidance, the Trust delivered a Flu Vaccination-only programme this year. Flu vaccinations were made available to all EEAST staff, including both patient-facing and non patient facing roles.

Programme Launch and Ambition The programme launched with the ambition to increase flu vaccination uptake from 22% in 2024 (1,803 staff) to 60% in 2025 (4,333 staff vaccinated either by EEAST or external providers).

Vaccinator Capacity and Vaccine Stock A total of 122 vaccinators were onboarded, including the in house Occupational Health (OH) Team. An initial 2,500 vaccine doses were ordered, with flexibility to place further orders to support increased uptake in line with programme ambitions.

Operational Improvements Several improvements were implemented to support programme delivery, including:

• Expanded vaccination coverage across Trust sites
• Enhanced recording and management information systems

Delivery Methods A range of delivery approaches were utilised to maximise accessibility:

• Welfare Wagons deployed to Emergency Departments for on site vaccination
• Walk around clinics delivered in Trust hubs and stations

Technology The Trust utilised Vaccination Track, a digital system currently used by 25 other NHS Trusts, to manage bookings, record outcomes, and support reporting.

Staff Communication and Engagement All Trust staff were invited to book vaccination appointments or attend walk-in sessions. Weekly reminder emails were issued throughout the campaign. The OH Team also directly engaged with areas demonstrating lower uptake to improve visibility and encourage participation.

Uptake and Engagement Summary (as at 31 December 2025)

• All staff (7,228):

• Vaccinated: 52% (3,767)

• Declined: 21% (1,548)

• Frontline staff (5,489):

• Vaccinated: 50% (2,754)

• Declined: 22% (1,229)

• Engagement with Vaccination Track:

• Engaged: 76% (5,315 staff)

• Did not engage: 1,850 staff

Key Issues / Risks:

Vaccination uptake below ambition While uptake increased significantly year on year, the Trust did not achieve the 60% target, leaving a proportion of the workforce less protected during peak winter pressures.

Variation in uptake across Trust areas Persistent geographical variation, particularly lower uptake in Bedfordshire and Luton, creates uneven workforce protection and may increase local operational risk during periods of high demand.

Lower uptake among younger staff cohorts Vaccination rates remain lower in younger age groups, notably the 26-30 cohort, which represents the largest proportion of the workforce, limiting overall coverage.

Vaccine hesitancy and mistrust Feedback from staff in low uptake areas indicates ongoing hesitancy and mistrust toward the flu vaccine, posing a risk to future improvements without targeted engagement and education.

Increased sickness absence impacting operational resilience The significant rise in cough, cold and flu related sickness absence and longer average absence duration presents a risk to service delivery, staff wellbeing, and workforce capacity, particularly during winter escalation periods.

Data completeness and engagement limitations Although Vaccination Track engagement was strong, 24% of staff did not engage, reducing visibility of vaccination status and limiting the ability to target interventions effectively.

Capacity and delivery constraints The programme’s success is dependent on vaccinator availability, Occupational Health capacity, and vaccine supply; any future constraints could impact delivery and uptake.

External flu season severity The unusually severe 2025/26 flu season highlights an external risk outside the Trust’s control, with more infectious strains potentially driving higher sickness levels even with improved vaccination uptake.

How does this report link with EEAST’s vision, purpose and values?

Accountable: This report demonstrates accountability through clear governance, transparent reporting of vaccination uptake, and benchmarking using Vaccination Track, with local ownership embedded through winter planning and LAM accountability.

**Respectful:**The campaign respected staff choice by offering flexible vaccination options and recognising individual decisions to decline or be vaccinated elsewhere, while listening to staff feedback to inform future improvement.

Excellent: A significant improvement in uptake, effective use of digital systems, and learning from high performing areas reflect a commitment to continuous improvement, workforce wellbeing, and delivery of high quality care.

Summary:

The 2025 Flu Vaccination Campaign has delivered a substantial improvement in uptake, increasing coverage by approximately 30 percentage points compared with 2024. This represents a significant achievement and reflects the positive impact of several key enablers, including stronger leadership engagement, integration of vaccination planning into Winter planning and LAM accountability structures, and the effective use of Vaccination Track to support communication, reporting, and campaign management.

Performance across the Trust was uneven. Bedfordshire and Luton continued to demonstrate consistently lower uptake levels. Although this is the smallest operational area (n = 342), feedback highlighted clear themes of vaccine hesitancy and mistrust, reinforcing the need for targeted engagement and tailored messaging in future campaigns. In contrast, Norfolk and Waveney achieved consistently high uptake and is the Trust’s largest area (n = 939). Their success was underpinned by a well organised local approach and proactive staff engagement, including the effective use of WhatsApp groups to promote uptake.

Across the Trust, uptake was notably lower among younger staff cohorts, particularly those aged 26-30, despite this group representing the largest proportion of the workforce (n = 1,143). This trend highlights an ongoing challenge and an opportunity for targeted interventions in future vaccination programmes.

When benchmarked against other organisations using Vaccination Track, the Trust ranked 11th out of 23 NHS Trusts, including at least two other Ambulance Services, demonstrating a mid table relative performance with clear scope for further improvement.

Despite the strong improvement in vaccination uptake, cough, cold and flu sickness absence increased significantly year on year. In Q3 2025/26, absence rates rose from 9.92 to 15.70 episodes per 100 employees, representing a 58% increase, despite only a 2.3% rise in headcount. This equated to 1,047 recorded absences; an excess of 385 episodes compared with expected levels based on the previous year. In addition, the average duration of absence increased from 5.53 to 5.82 days.

These trends are consistent with the exceptionally severe 2025/26 flu season, which has been widely reported nationally, driven by a dominant and highly infectious H3N2 subclade. Increased infection rates and prolonged recovery periods observed nationally align with the Trust’s experience of increased sickness absence during Q3.

Overall, the campaign has demonstrated that improved leadership focus, enhanced systems, and proactive engagement can materially increase vaccination uptake. However, the wider context of a severe flu season and ongoing variation in uptake across geographies and age groups highlights the importance of continued targeted engagement, refined communications, and early planning to maximise workforce resilience in future winter periods.