Flu vaccine 2026 delayed in Norway: the week it reaches your county – and who should get it

• Week 43 (19–25 October): Innlandet, Akershus, Østfold, Buskerud, Vestfold and Telemark
• Week 44 (26 October–1 November): Oslo – every delivery is scheduled for Monday 26 October
• Week 45 (2–8 November): Finnmark, Troms, Nordland, Svalbard, Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal
• Week 46 (9–15 November): Vestland, Rogaland and Agder
• Who: everyone aged 65 and over, pregnant women after week 12 and children and adults in risk groups
• Cost in the programme: NOK 101 for the vaccine, NOK 308 including the recommended fee for giving it

When will the flu vaccine reach my county?

According to FHI's delivery plan, published on 29 September 2026 and since updated with delivery rosters, the standard flu vaccines are going out in four batches. Eastern Norway outside Oslo is receiving its doses this week, with FHI's roster for the region listing deliveries every day from Monday 19 to Friday 23 October.

When does the flu vaccine arrive in Oslo?

The capital has a week to itself. FHI's published roster shows all 78 deliveries to Oslo addresses taking place on Monday 26 October 2026 – the day after Norway puts the clocks back for winter time.

Northern, central and western Norway

FHI has not set a delivery date for Finnmark, Troms, Nordland and Svalbard, but says “most will receive the vaccines on Tuesday or Wednesday” of week 45. Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal are also down for week 45, while Vestland, Rogaland and Agder follow in week 46. Rosters for these regions had not been published as of 18 October, so the dates may still shift.

These are deliveries to municipalities, GP surgeries and other vaccination sites – not the date you can book a jab. FHI said on 17 September that each municipality will announce on its website when vaccines are available and where to get them.

Why is the flu vaccine late in 2026?

FHI says the delay is down to “production challenges at some of the vaccine manufacturers”, which cannot deliver on the agreed dates. The institute is receiving the doses in several instalments and passing them on as they arrive.

In a briefing for municipalities on 25 September, FHI set out the background. All three virus strains in the vaccine were replaced after the World Health Organization's (WHO) strain-selection meeting on 27 February, and manufacturers received production-ready seed viruses and reagents from WHO later than usual. The delay affects both of FHI's main suppliers and the whole of Europe, which made replacement vaccines hard to come by.

Only the flu vaccine is affected. Covid-19 and pneumococcal vaccines are being delivered as normal, although FHI notes it may be convenient to wait and have them at the same time.

Who got the vaccine first?

The most vulnerable have not had to wait. In weeks 40 and 41, FHI sent two vaccines to the whole country: Fluad, which contains an adjuvant to boost the immune response and is reserved for care-home residents and other particularly frail patients, and the Fluenz nasal spray for children aged 2 to 17 in risk groups. The standard injectable vaccines, such as Vaxigrip and Influvac, are now following.

Who should get the flu vaccine in Norway in 2026?

The recommendations are unchanged from last season, according to FHI's information letter to municipalities of 27 August 2026. Through the adult vaccination programme, FHI's flu vaccine guidance offers the jab to groups including:

• everyone aged 65 or over
• residents of care homes and sheltered housing
• pregnant women after week 12 (and in the first trimester if at extra risk)
• children born prematurely, especially before week 32, from 6 months to 5 years
• children and adults with chronic lung or cardiovascular disease, diabetes, serious liver, kidney or neurological disease, a weakened immune system, or obesity with a BMI of 35 or more

Health workers in close contact with patients, and people who live with someone whose immune system is severely weakened, are also advised to be vaccinated to protect others. FHI estimates that flu causes more than 5,000 hospital admissions and an average of 900 deaths in Norway every year.

What is new in this year's vaccine?

The 2026/27 flu vaccine is trivalent, meaning it protects against three virus strains – two influenza A and one influenza B – and all three are new this season. They follow WHO's recommendation for the northern hemisphere of 27 February 2026: A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1), A/Darwin/1454/2025 (H3N2) and B/Tokyo/EIS13-175/2025 (B/Victoria lineage).

WHO issues its recommendation in February to allow roughly six to eight months for production, regulatory approval and distribution. FHI describes the production timelines as “very short”, and this year manufacturers had to prepare three new strains at once.

Six flu vaccines are on the Norwegian market, and according to the Norwegian Medical Products Agency (October 2026) all of them are grown in hens' eggs. FHI's genomic surveillance links the H1N1 viruses now circulating in Norway to A/Missouri/11/2025 – the same virus used for the H1N1 component of this year's vaccine.

Does the delay leave me less protected?

Probably not, says FHI. The annual flu epidemic usually starts in December and peaks around Christmas or the February half-term, and the vaccine gives its best protection from one to two weeks after the jab. People vaccinated in early December are therefore usually protected before the epidemic takes hold.

One caveat: last season's outbreak began as early as week 48, which FHI itself called “very early”. As of week 41, flu activity was “very low and as expected for the time of year”, according to FHI's respiratory infections status report, with H1N1 the most common subtype.

What happens next?

FHI publishes a status report on respiratory infections every Thursday, with the first report of the season due in week 43. Together with the Norwegian Directorate of Health, it will run a major public information campaign in weeks 45–47, timed to match the roll-out.

People over 65 who have not yet been vaccinated are due to receive reminders via Helsenorge in weeks 47, 48 and 49, following the same county order as the deliveries. Nettsak will keep following the story in News.

Frequently asked questions

When will the 2026 flu vaccine reach Oslo?

FHI is delivering Oslo's vaccines in week 44, and its roster shows every delivery taking place on Monday 26 October. Your municipality or GP will announce when you can book.

Can I get the flu jab at a pharmacy instead?

Pharmacies may have the vaccine before your municipality starts, which can help if it is urgent – before a long stay abroad, for example. FHI says people over 65 and in risk groups can safely wait for the municipal or GP offer, which is also cheaper.

How much does the flu vaccine cost in 2026?

Within the programme the vaccine costs NOK 101 per dose. Adding the Directorate of Health's recommended fee of NOK 207 for administering it brings the total to NOK 308, though municipalities may charge differently.

How long does the vaccine take to work?

Expect protection 10–14 days after the jab, lasting roughly three to six months. On average the vaccine prevents illness in about six in ten people vaccinated, and it also lowers the risk of severe disease.

Can I have the Covid-19 and pneumococcal vaccines at the same time?

Yes. The flu vaccine can be given alongside Covid-19 and pneumococcal vaccines, and FHI says it may be practical to have them together.