What Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population has said about the 2026/27 flu vaccine (who it named, when, and where it is supplied), set beside WHO’s flu fact sheet and virus composition recommendations, with the questions to ask the vaccination office or your doctor.
Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population said on 4 October 2026 that seasonal flu vaccine is at its non-routine vaccination offices in every governorate, named people aged 65 and over, children, pregnant women and people with chronic diseases among those most at risk of complications, and said to have it every year, well before winter begins (Masrawy).
The Ministry also said the vaccine is supplied in stages from 1 September 2026 through 28 serum-and-vaccine centres of VACSERA, the Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (Masrawy, 22 September 2026). This page sets out what the Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) have said about who the flu vaccine is for, when to have it and where to go. It does not tell you whether you or your child should have it: that is your doctor’s decision.
In short:
- Who: the Ministry named people aged 65 and over, children, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, people with weakened immunity and health workers, and pointed to travellers, including people going on Hajj or Umrah (Masrawy, 4 October 2026, and in the same terms on 27 September 2026). WHO’s flu fact sheet (28 February 2025) has its own list: see the table below.
- When: every year, well before winter begins, says the Ministry (4 October 2026). WHO recommends annual vaccination before the flu season begins (1 June 2022).
- Where: VACSERA’s 28 centres (22 September 2026) and the Ministry’s vaccination offices (4 October 2026). The office addresses were reported on 27 September 2026 to be published as pictures.
- Not a guarantee: Masrawy’s report of 22 September 2026 says, in its own words, that the vaccine does not mean absolute protection from infection.
Last checked: 24 October 2026, on the pages listed under Sources. Supplies and arrangements change during the season, so confirm with the office or your doctor.
Who is the seasonal flu vaccine for?
The Ministry’s list (4 October 2026) and WHO’s annual-vaccination list (28 February 2025) overlap but are not the same. The table sets them side by side.
| Group | Ministry of Health and Population (reported 4 October 2026) | WHO flu fact sheet (28 February 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| People aged 65 and over | Named | In its vaccination list (“people over age 65”) |
| Children | Named | In its list: children aged 6 months to 5 years |
| Pregnant women | Named | In its list |
| People with chronic disease | Named, with heart disease, diabetes and respiratory disease as examples | In its list (“people with chronic medical conditions”) |
| People with weakened immunity | Named | Not in its vaccination list; its high-risk list includes people with immunosuppression |
| Health workers | Named | In its list |
| Travellers, including people about to go on Hajj or Umrah | Named, because of crowded places | Not in its list |
Ministry column: Masrawy’s report of statements by Deputy Minister Dr Amr Qandil, 4 October 2026 (its 27 September 2026 report gives the same groups): the groups he listed when he said vaccination matters most for those most at risk of flu complications, and, separately, travellers and people going on Hajj or Umrah, because of crowded places. WHO column: the annual-vaccination list in the “Prevention” section of the WHO influenza (seasonal) fact sheet, dated 28 February 2025. Both read 24 October 2026. “Not in its list” means the source does not name that group, not that the group is excluded. Whether you or your child are in a group is for your doctor to say.
When should I get the flu vaccine?
The Ministry says to have the flu vaccine every year, well before winter begins (Deputy Minister Dr Amr Qandil, Masrawy, 4 October 2026). Its spokesman, Dr Hossam Abdelghaffar, said that doing so gives the body time to build immunity, and urged people not to wait until infection spreads; he added that the vaccine’s composition is updated every year and that it has to be taken every year to renew immunity (same report).
WHO recommends annual vaccination before the flu season begins (news release, 1 June 2022), and its flu fact sheet says immunity from vaccination goes away over time (28 February 2025). The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop (read 24 October 2026).
Other Egyptian statements are less specific: Dr Abdelghaffar also called the vaccine appropriate as winter begins, and Dr Amgad El-Haddad, an allergy and immunology consultant at the Serum and Vaccine Authority, advised having it early, before winter begins (Masrawy, 27 September 2026), and said to have it at the start of winter and before respiratory infections spread more (television remarks, reported by Al-Ahram Gate, 9 October 2026). None of the Egyptian sources we read names a calendar month, so this page gives none. For what the season looks like in Egypt, see our winter respiratory season guide.
Is there a 2027 flu vaccine? What “2026/2027” means
WHO names its flu vaccine recommendations by season and hemisphere: one for the 2026-2027 northern hemisphere season, published on 27 February 2026, and a separate one for the 2027 southern hemisphere season, published on 25 September 2026. The northern hemisphere recommendation names these viruses:
| Component | Egg-based vaccines | Cell-, recombinant protein- or nucleic acid-based vaccines |
|---|---|---|
| A(H1N1)pdm09 | A/Missouri/11/2025-like virus | A/Missouri/11/2025-like virus |
| A(H3N2) | A/Darwin/1454/2025-like virus | A/Darwin/1415/2025-like virus |
| B (Victoria lineage) | B/Tokyo/EIS13-175/2025-like virus | B/Pennsylvania/14/2025-like virus |
WHO, 27 February 2026, read 24 October 2026. WHO notes that no B/Yamagata lineage viruses have been recorded since March 2020. WHO’s 25 September 2026 recommendation for the 2027 southern hemisphere season, also read 24 October 2026, names the same egg-based and cell-based viruses.
The Ministry said that vaccine types registered with the Egyptian Drug Authority are supplied, and Masrawy’s report lists trivalent and quadrivalent among them (Masrawy, 22 September 2026). Dr El-Haddad said the vaccine’s composition is updated following WHO’s recommendations (Masrawy, 27 September 2026; Al-Ahram Gate, 9 October 2026). The statements we read do not say which of WHO’s lists the vaccines in Egyptian stock follow, or which season they are labelled for, so ask the vaccinator which type they have and which season the label names.
Who should check with a doctor first?
The first three points below are a consultant’s remarks on television (Al-Ahram Gate, 9 October 2026), not a guideline; the last two are from the CDC (read 24 October 2026). Whether any of them applies to you or your child is a question for your doctor:
- Infants under 6 months may not have the flu vaccine (Dr El-Haddad).
- Vaccination should be postponed during a fever until it passes (Dr El-Haddad).
- An immune disease does not necessarily rule the vaccine out, but a doctor should assess the case (Dr El-Haddad).
- Which vaccine suits a person depends on age, current and past health and any allergy to the vaccine or its components (CDC).
- Some children need two doses, the second at least four weeks after the first; the CDC page does not say which children (CDC).
In Egypt: where do I get the flu vaccine?
The Ministry said it is at VACSERA’s 28 centres (22 September 2026) and at its non-routine vaccination offices in every governorate (4 October 2026). The table lists what each source said.
| Where | What was reported | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| VACSERA’s serum-and-vaccine centres | Supplied in stages from 1 September 2026 through 28 centres in most governorates; more than 300,000 doses; types registered with the Egyptian Drug Authority | Masrawy, 22 September 2026, reporting the Ministry |
| The Ministry’s non-routine vaccination offices | Flu vaccine available at these offices in all governorates | Masrawy, 4 October 2026, reporting the Ministry |
| Published office addresses | The Ministry was reported to have published, as 26 pictures, the addresses of the health offices where flu vaccine is available in each governorate; the picture we opened, for Giza, gives each office’s address and whether it is a health administration, a health office, a family medicine unit or a medical centre | Masrawy, 27 September 2026 |
| Ministry health centres, the Serum and Vaccine Authority and VACSERA branches | A consultant at the Serum and Vaccine Authority said the vaccine is at Ministry health centres and at the Authority (Al-Ahram Gate), and that the updated vaccine is at VACSERA branches across the country (Masrawy) | Al-Ahram Gate, 9 October 2026; Masrawy, 27 September 2026 |
We did not find a flu vaccine notice or the address list on the Ministry’s home page (read 24 October 2026), and we could not open VACSERA’s website, so the Ministry’s statements here are as Masrawy and Al-Ahram Gate reported them. Open the Masrawy pictures, or ask your doctor or your local health directorate which office is nearest. We found no official 2026/2027 price in the sources we read, so none is given here: ask the office.
The routine childhood vaccines are a separate list; Egypt’s childhood vaccine schedule sets them out.
What should I ask at the vaccination office or my doctor?
- Does this office have flu vaccine today, and what are its hours?
- Which type is it, trivalent or quadrivalent, and which season does the label name?
- What does it cost at this office?
- Am I, or is my child, in a group the Ministry named, and is the vaccine right for us?
- We have a fever or feel unwell today: should we wait?
- Does any allergy I have matter for this vaccine?
- For a child: one flu vaccination this season, or two?
- If I am pregnant: what does my obstetrician advise?
Where Medigize stands
Medigize is a navigation tool. It does not give vaccines or tell you whether to have one. We are building a record that moves with the patient, shared only with their consent. If you would like to follow that work, you can register your interest.
Frequently asked questions
Who should get the seasonal flu vaccine in Egypt?
The Ministry named people aged 65 and over, children, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases, people with weakened immunity, health workers and travellers (Masrawy, 4 October 2026). Whether it is right for you is your doctor’s decision.
When should I get the flu vaccine?
Every year, well before winter begins, says the Ministry (Masrawy, 4 October 2026). WHO recommends annual vaccination before the flu season begins (1 June 2022).
Where can I get the flu vaccine in Egypt?
The Ministry said it is at VACSERA’s 28 centres (22 September 2026) and at its non-routine vaccination offices in all governorates (4 October 2026). Ask the office or your local health directorate for the nearest one.
Does the flu vaccine stop me getting flu?
Masrawy’s report of 22 September 2026 says, in its own words, that it does not mean absolute protection from infection, that how well it works varies by season, and that vaccination helps lessen the severity of illness and its complications. Your doctor can say what that means for you.
Is there a 2027 flu vaccine?
WHO has published a recommendation for the 2026-2027 northern hemisphere season (27 February 2026) and a separate one for the 2027 southern hemisphere season (25 September 2026). The statements we read do not say which list the vaccine in Egyptian stock follows: ask the vaccinator which season the label names.
Medigize is a non-diagnostic navigation tool. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.
Sources
- Masrawy, 4 October 2026: the Ministry of Health and Population on flu vaccine at its non-routine vaccination offices, the groups it named and the remarks of the deputy minister and the spokesman, read 24 October 2026
- Masrawy, 22 September 2026: the Ministry on flu vaccine supply through VACSERA, read 24 October 2026
- Masrawy, 27 September 2026: the Ministry on flu vaccine availability and the groups it named, with its published addresses of flu vaccination offices (pictures), read 24 October 2026
- Al-Ahram Gate, 9 October 2026: an allergy and immunology consultant at the Serum and Vaccine Authority and the Ministry’s spokesman on flu vaccine timing, infants, fever and immune conditions, read 24 October 2026
- World Health Organization (WHO): Influenza (seasonal), fact sheet, dated 28 February 2025, read 24 October 2026
- WHO: Recommendations for influenza vaccine composition for the 2026-2027 northern hemisphere season, 27 February 2026, read 24 October 2026
- WHO: Recommendations announced for influenza vaccine composition for the 2027 southern hemisphere influenza season, 25 September 2026, read 24 October 2026
- WHO: WHO issues updated influenza vaccines position paper, 1 June 2022, read 24 October 2026
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine, read 24 October 2026
- Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population: home page (no flu vaccine notice found), read 24 October 2026
Last updated:
Explore Medigize
Medigize is in development. Explore our current scope and express your interest.