No 39 - 2026

Autumn vaccination programme against influenza and COVID-19

From 1 October 2026, vaccination against influenza and COVID-19 will be offered to persons aged 65 years and over as well as to persons under 65 years with certain diseases and conditions that increase the risk of a severe course of disease. Pregnant women in the second or third trimester are offered vaccination against influenza. Vaccination against influenza and COVID-19 can be given at the same time.

Invitation to vaccination against influenza and COVID-19

Persons aged 65 years and over will receive an invitation to vaccination in September via Digital Post or as a physical letter if they are exempt from Digital Post.

Once the invitation has been received, an appointment for vaccination can be booked at www.vacciner.dk. Vaccination is offered at regional vaccination centres and by Danske Lægers Vaccinations Service.

Persons under 65 years who are covered by the vaccination offer because of disease or other risk factors do not receive an invitation. From the end of September, they can book an appointment at www.vacciner.dk by completing a declaration of eligibility.

The vaccination period runs from 1 October up to and including 20 December 2026.

Vaccination against influenza

Target group and period

Vaccination against influenza is offered free of charge from 1 October up to and including 20 December 2026 to persons aged 65 years and over.

In addition, vaccination against influenza is offered to the following persons under 65 years:

• Persons with chronic disease, including:
  o persons with chronic lung diseases
  o persons with cardiovascular diseases, with the exception of isolated, well-controlled high blood pressure
  o persons with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
  o persons with congenital or acquired immunodeficiency, e.g. persons with immunoglobulin deficiencies, organ or stem cell transplantation, cancer undergoing treatment with chemotherapy, or persons receiving other immunosuppressive treatment
  o persons with impaired respiration due to reduced muscle strength
  o persons with chronic liver or kidney disease
• Persons with severe obesity (BMI >35)
• Persons with other serious diseases or conditions which, according to a medical assessment, mean that influenza poses a serious health risk, e.g. persons with serious rheumatological or neurological disease, short bowel syndrome, severe mental illness, Down's syndrome or severe substance abuse
• Pregnant women in the second or third trimester
• Persons in the same household as persons with congenital or acquired immunodeficiency or children at increased risk of severe influenza or COVID-19.

Disability pensioners are also offered free vaccination against influenza

Influenza vaccines this season

Persons aged 65–68 years as well as other target groups for influenza vaccination are offered a standard influenza vaccine, Vaxigrip^® or Influvac^®. The two vaccines are equivalent.

Persons aged 69 years and over are offered the adjuvanted influenza vaccine Fluad^®. The vaccine contains an adjuvant that enhances the immune response and is expected to provide better protection against severe influenza and hospitalisation among older people.

On the basis of WHO's recommendation, the influenza vaccines are also trivalent this season.

All of the aforementioned influenza vaccines can be given at the same time as the vaccine against COVID-19.

For further information about the vaccines, please refer to the Vaccine Lexicon.

Egg allergy

According to the current recommendations, egg allergy is not in itself a contraindication to vaccination with the influenza vaccines used.

For further information about contraindications and precautions, please refer to the individual vaccines in the Vaccine Lexicon.

Special considerations regarding vaccination of children

Children at increased risk of a severe course of influenza can be vaccinated with Vaxigrip^® or Influvac^®, which are authorised for use from 6 months of age.

Children aged 6 months up to and including 8 years who have not previously been vaccinated against influenza are recommended two doses at an interval of at least four weeks.

Children in the same age group who have previously received at least one influenza vaccine should receive only one dose this season. Children and young people aged 9 years and over should likewise receive only one dose.

Assessment of whether there is an indication for vaccination of children against influenza is made on the basis of an individual medical assessment.

Vaccination against COVID-19

Target group and period

Free vaccination against COVID-19 is offered from 1 October up to and including 20 December 2026 to persons aged 65 years and over as well as to persons under 65 years with diseases or conditions that increase the risk of a severe course of COVID-19.

Pregnancy is not in itself considered a risk factor for severe COVID-19. Healthy pregnant women are therefore not offered vaccination against COVID-19.

Pregnant women, regardless of trimester, who have a disease or condition that increases the risk of a severe course of COVID-19 are recommended vaccination in line with other persons under 65 years at increased risk.

If a person is also to be vaccinated against pneumococci, the pneumococcal vaccine can be administered on the same day as the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines or at any interval between the vaccinations.

COVID-19 vaccines this season

Vaccination against COVID-19 this season is carried out with the variant-updated mRNA vaccine Comirnaty XFG from Pfizer-BioNTech.

As a general rule, one dose is given regardless of previous vaccination status. The vaccine can be given at the same time as vaccination against influenza.

On the basis of an individual medical assessment, persons with severely impaired immune systems may possibly be offered additional vaccination.

Vaccination against COVID-19 is indicated for only a few children and young people under 18 years of age. Assessment of the indication for vaccination against COVID-19 in children and young people is made on the basis of an individual medical assessment by a paediatrician.

Comirnaty XFG is available in different formulations for adults and children. For adults and young people aged 12 years and over, Comirnaty XFG for persons aged 12 years and over is used. For children aged 6 months to 11 years, Comirnaty XFG 6 months–11 years is used

Ingredients and allergy

Allergy to ingredients in the vaccine is very rare, but vaccination is contraindicated in persons with a known severe allergy to one or more of the vaccine's ingredients.

Persons with a previous anaphylactic reaction in connection with vaccination or administration of medicines, or with repeated severe immediate reactions/anaphylaxis in connection with oral medicines, should be assessed by a doctor before possible vaccination.

Correct registration in DDV of vaccines against influenza and COVID-19

Persons aged 65 years and over have vaccination courses created in the Danish Vaccination Register (DDV) in connection with the issuing of invitations.

When registering influenza vaccination, it is important to ensure that the registered vaccine type and batch number correspond to the vaccine that was actually administered.

Persons aged 65–68 years are offered Vaxigrip^® or Influvac^®, while persons aged 69 years and over are offered Fluad^®.

For COVID-19, vaccination courses are created with Comirnaty XFG.

When vaccinating persons who have not received an invitation, it must be ensured when creating the vaccination course that the correct Comirnaty XFG course without invitation is selected.

Vaccination against influenza and COVID-19 at own expense

Vaccines against influenza and COVID-19 for vaccination outside the public vaccination programme can be ordered from SSI.

Please refer to SSI's website for information about available vaccines, ordering and delivery.

(L. Hallundbæk, B. Søborg, P.H. Andersen, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention)