CF teams in Plymouth and Dundee leading initiative to make flu vaccines a routine part of CF care

People with cystic fibrosis are eligible for the free flu vaccine each year, but accessing this through pharmacies, primary care or vaccine hubs can be an additional burden. Catching flu can impact the long-term lung health of people with CF and can trigger an exacerbation (flare-up). Symptoms can range from mild upper respiratory tract symptoms to severe respiratory challenges. 

At CF services in Plymouth and Dundee, CF nurses had identified flu vaccination as a priority area for improvement, having seen lower uptake of vaccines and more severe cases during the 2024-2025 season. In response, their nurses trained to be flu vaccinators and offered the vaccine as part of routine CF care in the 2025-2026 flu season.

The CF Nursing Association (CFNA) and Cystic Fibrosis Trust are now exploring the impact of these initiatives to understand the potential benefits of offering flu vaccination as part of standard CF care to people with CF across the UK.

Since introducing the vaccination programme, uptake in Dundee improved by 18%, with 71% of people with CF having the vaccine. As well as protecting the CF community from the risks of catching flu, it has also helped reduce the impact of staff sickness on services ahead of the busy winter period, as CF nurses also acted as peer vaccinators. 

Louise is Involvement Coordinator at Cystic Fibrosis Trust and has been supporting Plymouth and Dundee with understanding the impact of their initiatives. She explains how it has also helped ease the administrative burden CF can bring, when you’re already juggling multiple treatments and appointments. 

“By making it more convenient to get the flu vaccine, the administrative burden on people with CF, and their families, who are already navigating primary care services is also significantly reduced. That burden is often what leads to lower uptake and therefore increased vulnerability. Attending crowded flu vaccination centres or busy GP clinics can also increase the risk of exposure to infection, so we feel that having the flu vaccine as a standard part of CF care could have real benefits for the whole CF community.” 

Arienne, who has CF, has a severe needle phobia and has always found the flu vaccine a stressful experience. “You have to sit there and wait in a crowded room, with nurses who don’t know you or understand your phobia. I always felt incredibly anxious and have had some bad experiences in the past,” she told us.

Arienne attends the Dundee CF Centre, one of the first in the UK to offer the vaccine as part of standard CF care. It meant that last year, for the first time, she was given it by her CF nurses in her regular CF clinic. “It made a big difference,” she says. “They were so patient and understanding, because they knew how hard it was for me.”

“It also helped with the admin side,” explains Arienne. “When you’ve got so much to already think about – medications, appointments, work, life – the flu vaccine becomes another thing on your list. But this makes it much more convenient, and I think it will persuade more people to have it.” 

Andy, 43, is a patient at the Plymouth CF centre. He became ill with the flu in 2024 and spent three weeks in hospital. He’d booked the flu vaccine but his appointment was cancelled at the last minute, “and I never got round to re-booking it,” he told us. “When you’re already juggling so much, sometimes another appointment just gets missed. But I won’t let it happen again. It really knocked me for six and it took me months to recover. I was on oxygen and in the ICU. Having been well with my CF for a long period of time, it was really worrying.” 

Andy is supportive of Plymouth’s initiative to make the flu vaccine a part of your regular CF clinic appointment. “It would be really helpful,” he says. “Not only because of convenience, but also it would be with someone you know and trusted.”

Caroline Whitton is a CF Nurse Consultant at Plymouth and Chair of the CF Nursing Association. She said: “Having been supported by Plymouth University Hospital vaccination team to make vaccines accessible to our patients, it was clear to see the benefits to people with CF. Their feedback was clear: this made a difference! Knowing this was echoed in Dundee fuelled the drive to look at how we can make the vaccine more accessible across the UK. Taking this project forward with Cystic Fibrosis Trust highlights the importance of collaboration to improve care.”

Ahead of the 2026-27 flu season, our Quality Improvement (QI) team at Cystic Fibrosis Trust are working with CF nurses in Plymouth and Dundee to share their experiences of implementing the flu vaccination programme and to encourage other CF centres to introduce a similar approach. 

If you have questions about the flu vaccine, please contact your GP or CF team.