- Nearly half (48%) of people with lung conditions (asthma, COPD bronchiectasis or pulmonary fibrosis) would want to receive a vaccination through a local pharmacy, new polling of 2,288 people with lung conditions in England has found
- Other findings suggest high trust in the NHS, with 84% of respondents with lung conditions viewing the health service as a trusted source of vaccine information. 19% of respondents cited personal beliefs - such as distrust of vaccines or concerns about side effects - as reasons for not getting jabbed
- The Taskforce for Lung Health is calling for a national respiratory plan to boost vaccination uptake and tackle inequalities, ahead of proposed changes to NHS vaccine commissioning in April 2027.
Campaigners are urging the NHS to ‘make vaccines the easy choice’ after new polling revealed the practical steps people with lung conditions say would help them decide whether to be vaccinated.
A YouGov poll of 2,288 people with lung conditions in England, commissioned by the Taskforce for Lung Health, of which Asthma + Lung UK is a member, suggests practical barriers to vaccination need greater attention from NHS leaders.
According to the UKHSA, less than half of under-65s with chronic respiratory disease in England received their flu vaccination last winter.1
The Taskforce for Lung Health’s report ‘Protection within reach: improving vaccine uptake among people with lung conditions in England’ , published today (November 10) reveals that fewer than one in five (19%) of respondents who had not received a vaccine they were eligible for cited personal beliefs – such as distrust of vaccines or concerns around side effects as a reason for their decision not to get vaccinated.
Almost half (48%) of respondents said they would want to receive a vaccine at their local pharmacy. GP surgeries were the most commonly selected location for receiving vaccinations (74%), followed by local pharmacies (48%) and check-up appointments (18%). Respondents could select multiple options.
When people with lung conditions were asked what would encourage them to get vaccinated in the future, just over a quarter (27%) of respondents said reminders via texts or the NHS App would help, while around one in 10 highlighted more walk-in appointments (11%) and being able to receive multiple vaccines in one visit (12%).
Importantly, the report found 84% of respondents see the health service as a trusted source of vaccine information, while 1% of those eligible for a vaccination rely on social media or AI chatbots for vaccine information.
The findings come amid persistent inequalities in vaccination uptake. In 2025, only around a third of under-65s in clinical risk groups living in the most deprived areas received a flu vaccination compared to 46% in the least deprived areas2.
The risks are stark. Evidence suggests that people with chronic respiratory disease are approximately 7 times more likely to die if they catch flu than those without underlying health conditions.3
Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect people with lung conditions from serious illness, ease winter pressure on the NHS, and deliver the shift from sickness to prevention.4,5
Last winter in England, the flu vaccination programme is estimated to have prevented around 7,000 deaths and 100,000 emergency hospital admissions, highlighting the importance of vaccination preventing serious illness and easing pressure on the NHS6.
The Taskforce for Lung Health is calling on NHS leaders to leverage high levels of trust in the health service to tackle inequalities, with clearer information and more reminders to help people access vaccines.
The Taskforce also wants Integrated Care Boards to offer more evening, weekend and walk-in vaccination appointments and ministers to expand the role of community pharmacies in delivering a wider range of respiratory vaccines.
The calls come ahead of proposed NHS changes in April 2027 that would see responsibility for organising vaccination services move to local health systems. The Taskforce warns that without clear national leadership and consistent standards, existing inequalities could deepen, leaving more people with lung conditions missing out on vital protection.
The Taskforce for Lung Health is urging NHS leaders to:
- Make vaccination recommendations a routine part of all respiratory care
- Commit to the development and implementation of a national respiratory plan, known as a Modern Service Framework, ahead of the transfer of vaccine commissioning responsibility in April 2027
- Measure and publish vaccine uptake rates among people with lung conditions, segmented by condition
- Improve appointment convenience and flexibility by ensuring vaccination invitations, reminders, and booking systems reflect how different groups prefer to engage – using targeted engagement to reach underserved communities
- Commit to expanding the role of community pharmacies to deliver a wider range of respiratory vaccines as Advanced Services in the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework
Sarah Sleet, Chair of the Taskforce for Lung Health and Chief Executive of Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Vaccines can save lives, yet far too many people with lung conditions are missing out on vital protection. When you’re at greater risk of serious illness from respiratory infections like flu, getting vaccinated should be as easy as possible.
“The good news is that most people aren’t opposed to vaccination. Our polling indicates that practical fixes such as reminders, clearer information about eligibility, several vaccines in one visit, easier booking and walk-in appointments could help boost uptake. While misinformation can often dominate the conversation around vaccines, trust in the NHS remains strong, with the health service still viewed as the most trusted source of information around vaccines.
“With major changes to how vaccination services are organised on the horizon, we need a clear national respiratory plan to boost uptake, tackle inequalities and ensure people with lung conditions don’t miss out on potentially life-saving protection.”
Darush Attar-Zadeh, a Clinical Fellow Pharmacist, Executive Chair of the Primary Care Respiratory Society and Co-Chair of the Taskforce’s Access to Treatments and Vaccines Working Group, said: “As pharmacists, we regularly hear from patients who care about staying up to date with their vaccines, but struggle to fit appointments around work and other commitments.
“In my experience, people would be encouraged to get vaccinated, if they were made easier. This could be through reminders, walk-in opportunities and the ability to receive all available vaccines in a single visit – all relatively inexpensive changes.
“As responsibility for vaccine commissioning changes in the coming months, community pharmacies could serve as a convenient, trusted and effective resource to boost vaccination uptake.”
-ENDS-
Taskforce for Lung Health
The Taskforce for Lung Health is a collaboration of the largest ever group of organisations and individuals who have come together, as a team, to improve lung health. The Taskforce has over 50 members including patients, carers, healthcare professionals, the voluntary sector and professional associations.
Survey information
The total sample size was 2,288 adults in England (aged 18+) with asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis or pulmonary fibrosis. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13 April and 10 May 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of those with each condition by age, gender, social grade, region and ethnicity (where possible).
References
1 Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in GP patients in England: winter season 2025 to 2026; accessed 3, November 2026. Available: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/seasonal-influenza-vaccine-uptake-in-gp-patients-winter-season-2025-to-2026/seasonal-influenza-vaccine-uptake-in-gp-patients-in-england-winter-season-2025-to-2026#vaccine-uptake-in-individual-clinical-risk-groups
2 UK Health Security Agency. Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in GP patients in England: winter season 2025 to 2026. Accessed November 2026. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/seasonal-influenza-vaccine-uptake-in-gp-patients-winter-season-2025-to-2026
3 Green Book Chapter: Influenza, page 5. "Influenza-related population mortality rates and relative risk of death among those aged 6 months to under 65 years by clinical risk group in England" -Green Book Chapter: Influenza
4 Michelotto, C et al. Vaccination Strategies in Respiratory Diseases: Recommendation from AIPO-ITS/ETS, SIMIT, SIP/IRS, and SItI. Accessed November 2026. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12324705/
5 Department of Health and Social Care. Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England. July 2025. Accessed November 2026. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6888a0b1a11f859994409147/fit for-the-future-10-year-health-plan-for england.pdf
6 UK Health Security Agency. Influenza in the UK, annual epidemiological report: winter 2025 to 2026. May 2026. Accessed November 2026. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/influenza-in-the-uk-annual-epidemiological-report-winter-2025-to-2026/influenza-in-the-uk-annual-epidemiological-report-winter-2025-to-2026#main-points