Parents and carers whose pre-school children have missed their flu vaccination appointment are encouraged to make alternative arrangements as flu cases rise in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
There’s still time to protect under-fives from the virus before the programme for this age group ends on Friday the 19th of December 2025.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) invited parents and carers to bring their child to a local clinic to receive their flu vaccination. If appointments have been missed, parents can call 0800 917 6115 to rearrange or attend one of the drop-in sessions organised by NHSGGC below.
NHSGGC Pre 5 Flu Immunisation Team Lead, Carol Steele, said:
“Life happens and it is understandable that young children will have missed their original appointment, but flu season is now here, with numbers of cases being the highest in children. We’re urging families to make arrangements to secure their child’s vaccine inside the next couple of weeks.
“We’re also seeing high presentations of children at A&E with respiratory conditions. If protection against flu is on offer, that’s one less winter virus for parents and carers to have to be concerned about.
“The vaccine cannot give the child flu, and it starts to provide protection against it within 10-14 days. If you’d prefer to avoid kids being floored over the Christmas break, now is the time to get this.
“The vaccine is a quick skoosh up the nose and takes seconds to do. Some children even give a giggle once it is done. Most can’t believe how easy it was!”
The vaccine has been offered to all children aged 2-5 (as of 1st September 2025) not yet in school and children aged 6 months to 2 years old with a condition that puts them at increased risk of flu.
Parents and carers can bring children in these eligible categories along to the following drop-ins if they have missed their flu vaccination. No appointments are needed.
Drop-In Sessions for children aged 2–5 (Not yet in school) and 6 months- 2 years at risk.
Sessions run:
Morning: 9am–10.30am
Late Morning: 11am–1pm
Afternoon: 2pm–3.30pm
- Wednesday 3 December – Greenock Health and Care Centre
- Thursday 4 December – Govanhill (Sandyford building)
- Saturday 6 December – New Gorbals Health and Care, the Tannahill Centre
- Tuesday 9 December – Shields Centre
- Wednesday 10 December – Community Centre For Health, Partick
- Friday 19 December – Maryhill Health and Care Centre (booking required)
Additional sessions
Morning only: 9am–12.30pm
- Thursday 27 November – Easterhouse Health and Care Centre
- Monday 1 December – Shettleston Health Centre
- Tuesday 2 December – Baillieston Health Centre (booking required – call 0800 917 6115
- Friday 12 December – Kirkintilloch health and Care Centre
The vaccine is also offered to all school-aged pupils. The school programme has been underway since September and by mid-December over 500 schools in Greater Glasgow and Clyde will have been visited by the NHSGGC immunisation team.
Ends
Notes to editors:
The annual vaccine offers protection against the most common types of flu virus that are around each winter.
Those eligible for the childhood and school flu vaccination programme include:
- children aged 6 months to 2 years at higher risk of flu
- children aged 2 to 5 years (on 1 September 2025 and not yet at school)
- all primary school children in Scotland (primary 1 to primary 7)
- all secondary school pupils (S1 to S6)
If a young person has left secondary school, they are not eligible to get a flu vaccine at school. 16- and 17-year-olds with an eligible health condition who have left school can phone 0800 030 8013 to book an appointment for the flu vaccine or by visiting the online booking portal
In a small number of cases, the nasal spray may not be suitable. Children aged 2 to 17 years who cannot receive the nasal spray will receive the vaccine as an injection in the arm. For more information about the child flu vaccine, visit NHS Inform: nhsinform.scot/childflu
