At the pharmacy counter, the question is likely to come up again in the first days of the campaign: “I have my voucher, but do I also need a doctor’s prescription?” Since the summer of 2026, the doubt is understandable. Flu vaccines are now subject to compulsory prescription.
The useful answer comes down to one nuance: you should not always consult a doctor before going to the pharmacy. The 2026-2027 flu campaign starts on October 13, 2026 and, for many people, the route remains possible directly in a pharmacy.
Mandatory prescription: what does it really change?
The change comes from the classification announced by the ANSM: since July 10, 2026, flu vaccines have been among the medications subject to compulsory prescription. Clearly, they must not be presented as vaccines delivered “without a prescription”.
But this does not mean that every patient must necessarily undergo a medical consultation before vaccination.
From the age of 11, the pharmacist can prescribe and administer the flu vaccine. For those concerned, the pharmacy can therefore remain the first point of entry.
The correct wording is therefore this: in many cases, vaccination can be done without prior medical prescriptionbecause the prescription can be carried on the care voucher or made out at the pharmacy.
To review the general indications for vaccination, our file Flu vaccine: the answers to your questions remains a useful reference, even if the practical arrangements evolve for 2026-2027.
You have received a care voucher: what should you bring?
If you are one of the people targeted by the campaign and you have received your Health Insurance voucher, bring it with your Vitale card. This voucher is worth a prescription : it is not necessary to add a medical prescription to withdraw the vaccine.
If you are eligible but have lost this document, or if you have not received it, a healthcare professional can give you one. This possibility concerns people eligible for the campaign.
However, one point must be kept in mind for families:
for children under 11 years oldthe prescription is not the responsibility of the pharmacist. The prescription part of the voucher must be completed by a doctor or midwife, according to the rules recalled by Health Insurance.
The right reflex therefore depends on three very concrete elements: the age of the person to be vaccinated, their eligibility for the campaign and the presence or absence of the care voucher.
How much does the vaccine cost if you go through the pharmacy?
For people eligible for vaccination recommendations, the flu vaccine is 100% supported. The injection is a separate act: it is reimbursed according to the usual conditions, but it is not automatically covered 100% in all cases.
For children aged 2 to 17 without chronic illness, the vaccine is covered at 65%. For an adult who does not fall under the recommendations and still wishes to be vaccinated, the vaccine and the injection remain their responsibility.
The amount may vary, but an example helps to understand the order of magnitude. In the public medicines database, the Influvac vaccine is displayed at 12.77 euros including fees. If an adult outside care arrives at the pharmacy without a prior medical prescription, a fee of 9.60 euros including tax may be added when the pharmacist prescribes and administers the vaccine. In this example, the total therefore reaches 22.37 euros.
This total remains indicative: it depends on the vaccine delivered, your situation, the existence or not of a prior prescription and your reimbursement conditions. Before the injection, the safest thing to do is to ask the pharmacy for the exact amount that will remain to be paid.
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