By Dr Simon Khela MBChB MRCGP, Medical Director, Private Medical Clinic

If you are reading this in June, the chances are you are already suffering. You do not need me to tell you that London’s grass pollen season is in full swing; you can feel it every time you step outside. The streaming eyes on the Tube. The relentless sneezing in the middle of a meeting. The exhaustion sets in by lunchtime despite a full night’s sleep. The antihistamine you took this morning barely seemed to touch it.

June is, without question, the peak month for hay fever in London. Grass pollen, the most common trigger of summer hay fever in the UK, reaches its highest concentrations between late May and mid-July, with counts frequently hitting “very high” across the capital during warm, dry, breezy days. For the millions of Londoners with seasonal allergic rhinitis, this is the month that tests their patience, their productivity, and their faith in whatever treatment they have been relying on.

It is also the month when I see the highest volume of patients specifically asking about the hayfever injection.

Many have heard through a friend, a colleague, or an internet search that a single jab can provide relief for the rest of the season. They want to know if it is too late in June to have it, whether it is safe, and whether it would genuinely help them. These are exactly the right questions to be asking. This article gives you honest, clinically grounded answers.

Is It Too Late to Have the Hayfever Injection in June?

No — June is actually one of the most common months for patients to seek the hayfever injection in London, and for good reason.

While ideally the injection would be timed to the very beginning of your primary pollen season, the reality is that many patients do not seek help until their symptoms have become unbearable, which, for grass-pollen-sensitive individuals, typically means May or June. If you are currently in the thick of the grass pollen season and your symptoms are significantly affecting your daily life, the injection can still provide meaningful relief for the remaining weeks of peak season and into July.

The grass pollen season in London typically runs from late May through to mid-July, with some variation depending on weather conditions. In a warm, dry June with light winds, the conditions most likely to send pollen counts soaring, you could easily have four to six weeks of peak season remaining. That is a meaningful period during which a corticosteroid injection can provide real benefit.

The key is acting promptly. If you are already in week three of severe symptoms, there is less time to gain from the injection than if you present at the beginning of June. Timing matters, and there is no advantage in waiting further.

Why June Is Peak Pollen Season in London

Understanding why June is so particularly difficult helps explain why so many patients reach the injection conversation at this point in the year.

London’s pollen calendar runs in overlapping waves. Tree pollens: birch, oak, ash, and plane peak from February through to May. By June, tree pollen is largely declining. But grass pollen, which affects approximately 95% of hay fever sufferers in the UK according to Allergy UK, is now at its height. Ryegrass, timothy, cocksfoot and other common grass species release pollen in enormous quantities throughout June and into July.

London’s vast green spaces make this particularly acute. Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park, Kew Gardens — these are beautiful assets for a city, but during June, they are also significant pollen sources. On a warm, breezy afternoon with a high pollen count, spending an hour in any of these parks without medication can leave a sensitised person miserable for the rest of the day.

There is also a lesser-known factor that makes June particularly challenging for Londoners: the urban pollution effect. Research has shown that diesel exhaust particles and other urban pollutants can interact with grass pollen grains, causing them to fragment into smaller particles that penetrate deeper into the airways. This means that exposure to the same pollen count in London can produce more intense symptoms than the equivalent exposure in a rural setting. If you have always struggled more in the city than in the countryside during pollen season, this is likely part of the reason why.

One additional June-specific risk worth flagging is thunderstorm asthma. When electrical storms occur during grass pollen season, which is not uncommon in June, the resulting air turbulence and humidity can cause grass pollen grains to rupture into very small particles that reach the lower airways. For anyone with both hay fever and asthma, this represents a real and underappreciated risk. If you have asthma, make sure your preventer inhaler is in date and that you have an up-to-date asthma action plan before the next thunderstorm warning. I have written previously about the link between hay fever and adult asthma for those who want to understand this relationship more fully.

What Is the Hayfever Injection and How Does It Work?

The hayfever injection, most commonly Kenalog, which contains triamcinolone acetonide, is a long-acting corticosteroid given as a single intramuscular injection. It suppresses the immune system’s inflammatory response to pollen, reducing symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes, and fatigue for approximately four to eight weeks.

It is not an allergy vaccine. It does not desensitise you to grass pollen. It does not cure hay fever. What it does is reduce the immune system’s overreaction to pollen so that your body stops mounting the inflammatory cascade that produces your symptoms for the duration of the season.

Unlike intranasal corticosteroid sprays, which act locally in the nasal passages with minimal systemic absorption, the hayfever injection is a systemic treatment. It circulates throughout the body, which is why it covers not just nasal symptoms but also eye symptoms, throat irritation, fatigue, and the general feeling of unwellness that many severe hay fever sufferers describe. It is also why it carries a more significant side effect profile than topical treatments, something I will address directly below.

What June Patients Specifically Need to Know Before Booking

Patients who come to me in June asking about the injection often have a slightly different set of circumstances from those who present in April. Here is what is particularly relevant at this point in the season.

You may already be on antihistamines, and that is fine

Many June patients have been taking cetirizine, loratadine, or fexofenadine since May. If you have been using antihistamines and they have not been providing adequate control, that is useful clinical information — not a reason to stop them before your appointment. A comparison of the main antihistamine options may help you understand whether you have been using the most appropriate preparation. Continuing antihistamines alongside the injection is often appropriate, particularly for the first week before the steroid effect is fully established.

Your nasal spray technique may be worth reviewing

One of the most common findings I encounter in June consultations is that patients have been using their intranasal corticosteroid spray incorrectly for the past month. Technique matters significantly, pointing the nozzle towards the outer wall of the nasal passage rather than the septum, breathing in gently, and not sniffing immediately after application, all affect how much steroid is actually deposited on the nasal mucosa. If you have a spray and feel it is not working, do not abandon it; ask your clinician to review your technique before concluding it has failed.

The season is not yet over

Many patients in June worry that they have “left it too late.” In most years in London, peak grass pollen season continues through late June and well into July. Weed pollens, nettle, and plantain in particular, then extend the season further into August and September for some patients. An injection administered now can still meaningfully cover the remaining weeks of peak season.

Who Is the Hayfever Injection Suitable For in June?

The clinical criteria for suitability remain the same regardless of the month, but the context of June makes certain groups particularly prominent.

Adults with severe, uncontrolled grass pollen symptoms who have been using antihistamines and nasal sprays without adequate relief, and for whom the next four to six weeks represent a significant quality-of-life burden.

Professionals with high-demand June commitments, barristers in trial, teachers approaching end-of-year assessments, professionals with important client-facing work, and athletes competing during the summer season. When the unpredictability of antihistamine response is not an option, the injection’s reliability is particularly valuable.

Patients sitting summer examinations, A-levels and university examinations frequently fall in June. Research has consistently shown that poorly controlled hay fever impairs cognitive function and examination performance. For students in this position, a consultation in early June is genuinely worth considering.

People who have used the injection successfully in previous June seasons and wish to repeat it following a proper current-season assessment.

Who Should Not Have the Injection — Regardless of the Month

The contraindications are not seasonal. They apply in June just as in April. Let me be direct about the most important ones.

Diabetes is the contraindication I encounter most frequently in practice. Systemic corticosteroids can cause significant and prolonged rises in blood glucose, sometimes for two to three weeks following the injection. In many diabetic patients, the injection is contraindicated; in others, it may be considered with very careful monitoring and explicit informed consent. This must be an individual clinical decision made by a doctor with full knowledge of your diabetes control and current medications.

During pregnancy, the grass pollen season falls squarely in the middle of many pregnancies, and I am frequently asked about safe hay fever management during this time. Systemic corticosteroids are generally avoided in pregnancy. Safe antihistamine options during pregnancy are available and should be discussed with your GP.

Active infection if you are currently fighting an infection of any kind, a systemic immunosuppressant is not appropriate. Treat the infection first.

Children and adolescents’ growth suppression is a significant concern with systemic steroids in younger patients. The injection is not routinely appropriate in this age group.

Patients on medications that interact with corticosteroids, certain anticoagulants, antifungals, and other drugs can interact with triamcinolone in clinically important ways. A full medication review is non-negotiable before the injection is prescribed.

The NHS Position — A Brief Reminder

The NHS does not routinely prescribe triamcinolone injections for hay fever a decision based on population-level risk-benefit assessment rather than a finding that the injection does not work. The availability of effective alternatives, combined with the side effect profile of systemic corticosteroids, led to this policy. You can read the fuller history of the NHS decision to discontinue Kenalog for hay fever if you want to understand the background.

The injection remains legally available through qualified private GPs following an appropriate individual assessment. The important phrase is “appropriate individual assessment.” If a provider offers the injection without a medical consultation, that is not good clinical practice, and I would encourage you to look elsewhere.

Treatment Options at a Glance: Where Does the Injection Fit in June?

Treatment	Suitable Starting in June?	Onset of Effect	Covers Remainder of Season?
Non-sedating antihistamine	Yes — daily throughout	Immediate (symptom suppression)	Ongoing — requires daily use
Intranasal corticosteroid spray	Yes, but the full effect takes weeks	2–4 weeks for full benefit	Yes, if used consistently
Antihistamine eye drops	Yes — as needed	Rapid	Yes — as needed
Hayfever injection (Kenalog)	Yes — effective for 4–8 weeks	3–7 days	Yes — for most of the remaining season
Allergen immunotherapy	Not for immediate relief	Months to years	Long-term benefit — not a June solution

The key practical point is that the injection and topical treatments are not mutually exclusive. Many patients benefit from combining the injection with a nasal spray and eye drops, particularly in the first week before the corticosteroid injection reaches full effect.

What to Expect at a June Hayfever Consultation in London

If you come to see a colleague about the hayfever injection this June, here is what a responsible consultation involves and what you should bring with you.

Be ready to describe your symptom pattern this season. When did symptoms start? Which symptoms are worst? Have they been continuous or variable? Have they affected your sleep, work, or ability to exercise outdoors?

Bring a list of everything you are currently taking, including prescription medications, antihistamines, nasal sprays, supplements, and anything else. Medication interactions with corticosteroids are a genuine clinical concern, not a formality.

Be honest about your medical history, particularly diabetes, immune conditions, recent infections, and any history of osteoporosis or bone fractures. The clinician cannot make a sound risk-benefit assessment without this information.

Ask questions. A good clinician will welcome questions about what the injection involves, how long it might last, what side effects to watch for, and what to do if it does not provide adequate relief. This is your health — you should feel comfortable with the decision before you proceed.

If the injection is clinically appropriate, it is typically given on the same day as the consultation. Most patients tolerate it very well. Effects begin to develop over the following days, with most people noticing meaningful improvement within a week.

Beyond the Injection: Managing the Rest of June in London

Whether or not you have the injection, the following practical measures make a real difference during peak pollen season.

Check the pollen forecast every morning. The Met Office pollen forecast provides reliable regional data. On very high pollen days, limiting time in London’s parks during morning and early evening — when pollen concentrations are highest is a sensible precaution.

Keep windows closed during high-pollen periods. This is particularly relevant in June, when warm weather makes open windows tempting. A fan or air conditioning unit is preferable to a pollen-filled breeze.

Shower and change clothes after time outdoors. Grass pollen clings to hair and clothing. A quick shower after a commute through a park can make a significant difference to evening symptoms.

Wear wraparound sunglasses when outdoors. If hay fever eye symptoms are particularly troublesome, as they often are in June, this simple measure provides meaningful protection.

Be alert to oral allergy syndrome. Some people with grass pollen allergy find that eating certain raw fruits and vegetables — tomatoes, melon, and stone fruits in particular — causes itching or tingling in the mouth during the summer months. This is oral allergy syndrome and is worth raising with your GP if you have noticed it.

If you have asthma, review your inhaler use now. The combination of high grass pollen counts and the risk of thunderstorm asthma in June makes this a particularly important month to ensure your preventer inhaler is being used correctly and that you have a current action plan.

Thinking Beyond This Season: Is Immunotherapy Worth Discussing?

June is not the right time to start allergen immunotherapy — it requires careful pre-season planning and is not appropriate as an in-season intervention. But June is absolutely the right time to have the conversation, so that you can make an informed decision about whether to pursue it ahead of next year’s season.

Allergen immunotherapy for hay fever — whether subcutaneous injections or sublingual drops or tablets — works by gradually desensitising the immune system to grass pollen over a course of three to five years. It is the only treatment that modifies the underlying cause of hay fever rather than suppressing symptoms each season. For patients who face severe, annual grass pollen allergy and are thinking about repeating an injection every June indefinitely, immunotherapy is a clinically meaningful alternative worth exploring.

A private GP consultation in June can address the immediate seasonal crisis and initiate the conversation about longer-term management in the same appointment. That is genuinely efficient use of clinical time.

Considering private allergy testing can also add significant value — confirming your specific sensitisations, identifying whether tree or weed pollens are also contributing to a longer symptom season, and establishing a baseline for future management planning.

Common Myths I Hear in June

“It is too late in the season to bother.”
For grass pollen, London’s peak season typically runs to mid-July and occasionally beyond. In most years, there are four to six weeks of meaningful season remaining in early June. That is not too late.

“I read online I can just order it without seeing a doctor.”
Please do not. The hayfever injection is a systemic corticosteroid with a real side effect profile. A provider that prescribes it without a medical assessment is not acting in your clinical interest.

“If the injection works, I can just have it every year without checking.”
Cumulative corticosteroid risks mean each season should involve a fresh clinical assessment. Repeated injections without review are not good clinical practice.

“My symptoms are bad this week, specifically because pollen has been released all at once.”
Partially true. Weather patterns — specifically warm, dry, windy conditions — do cause significant day-to-day variation in pollen counts. But persistent severe symptoms across multiple weeks in June generally reflect genuine immune sensitisation to grass pollen rather than weather variation alone.

Key Takeaways

• June is peak grass pollen season in London — and the most common month for patients to seek the hayfever injection.
• It is not too late in June to benefit from the injection. Most of the grass pollen season remains, and treatment now can provide meaningful relief through July.
• The hayfever injection (Kenalog/triamcinolone) is a systemic corticosteroid that suppresses allergic inflammation for four to eight weeks. It is not a cure.
• It requires a proper medical consultation — not an online order without assessment.
• Diabetes, pregnancy, active infection, and certain medications are important contraindications that must be assessed individually.
• The injection can be combined with antihistamines and topical treatments for maximum effect during the first week.
• London-specific factors — urban pollution, large green spaces, thunderstorm asthma risk — can intensify grass pollen symptoms in June.
• June is a good time to have the longer-term conversation about allergen immunotherapy for next season.

Conclusion

If you are in London right now, struggling through June with hay fever that is not adequately controlled, you have options, and the most important step is a proper clinical conversation rather than another trip to the pharmacy for a different antihistamine.

The hayfever injection can be a genuinely effective intervention for the right patient. For many people, getting through the rest of June and into July with manageable symptoms rather than chronic misery is a meaningful improvement in quality of life. But the injection deserves to be prescribed properly with a full assessment of your individual circumstances, an honest account of the risks, and a plan that addresses not just this season but your ongoing management.

If you are considering a hayfever injection in London this June, Private Medical Clinic offers a same-consultation assessment and treatment where clinically appropriate. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Is it too late to get a hayfever injection in June?
No. June is peak grass pollen season, so you can still benefit from treatment.

Q2: How quickly does a hayfever injection work?
Most people notice relief within 3–7 days, with full effects in 1–2 weeks.

Q3: Why is hay fever worse in London in June?
June has the highest grass pollen levels, making symptoms more severe.

Q4: Can I get a hayfever injection on the same day as my consultation?
Yes, in most cases, if a GP confirms you’re suitable for treatment.

Q5: Should I stop taking antihistamines before my appointment?
No. Keep taking them until your GP advises otherwise.

Q6: Can I have a hayfever injection if I have a cold?
Usually no. Wait until you’ve recovered before treatment.

Q7: Can students have a hayfever injection?
It depends on your age and health. A GP will assess your suitability.

Q8: How long does a hayfever injection last?
Relief typically lasts 4–8 weeks.

Q9: What can I do while waiting for my appointment?
Continue your medication, avoid high pollen exposure, and check daily pollen forecasts.

Q10: Should I consider allergy immunotherapy?
Yes, if you get severe hay fever every year. It treats the underlying allergy.

Author Bio

Dr Simon Khela MBChB MRCGP is a UK-qualified General Practitioner and the Medical Director of Private Medical Clinic, with locations across London, Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield, Leicester, Newcastle, Oxford, Derby, and Bournemouth. He graduated from the University of Birmingham Medical School and is a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners. With over a decade of clinical experience in NHS and private practice, Dr Khela has developed particular expertise in allergy management, preventive medicine, and complex general practice. He is committed to evidence-based, patient-centred care that helps patients understand their options and make genuinely informed decisions about their health.