Changes to Advance payments for flu vaccination service

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that from the 2026/27 flu vaccination season, the reimbursement element for flu vaccinations will be excluded from the calculation of Average Item Values (AIVs) used to determine advance payments to pharmacy owners. Pharmacy owners will still receive a reimbursement advance for adult flu vaccinations, based on the updated AIV calculation for that pharmacy.

This adjustment is to avoid extreme fluctuations in pharmacy owners’ AIV levels leading to over payments of advances in the months following administration of flu vaccines, subsequently followed by large recoveries, as was observed in the 2025/26 flu season.

The advance service fee payments, which include adult flu vaccine fees, are unaffected by this change. This will continue to be paid on the same date as the early Advance payment for dispensed prescriptions, provided the declaration is submitted within the usual claiming deadlines. Please note: childhood flu vaccination payments are not currently included in the service advance payment.