Key Summary
- Flu cases in the UK have surged early, driven mainly by infections among school-aged children
- Over 12 million flu vaccines have already been administered, including 6.7 million for over-65s
- NHS urges all eligible people to get vaccinated by November to prevent a prolonged flu season
The UK marks an early winter this year with soaring flu cases, surpassing last year.
The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) latest data highlights a jump from 6.1 per cent to 8.2 per cent in flu cases.
As per the UKHSA, a major cause of flu outbreak is the spike among school-aged children.
There is a 2.9 per cent increase of flu among them this year.
Currently, the NHS teams have delivered 12.2 million autumn/winter flu vaccinations by this autumn.
Among this, 6.7 million vaccines were administered for people over 65 years.
Along with this, 1.8 million vaccines were given for school-going children and more than 366,000 vaccines given to two and three year olds.
For the first time, eligible people could book their flu or COVID-19 jabs from 1 September to plan ahead.
However, the winter that arrived more than a month earlier, is expected to affect the wider population resulting in a “long and drawn-out flu season”.
NHS urges all the eligible adults to be vaccinated by the end of November to tackle this.
The eligible individuals are aged 65 and over, under 65s in clinical risk groups, care home residents and carers, pregnant women, close contacts of those who are immunosuppressed and frontline health and social care workers as well as children.
All local pharmacies, GP practices and community clinic drop-in centres in the country provide appointments as well as walk-in sessions.
Parents are urged to submit school consent forms or book flu jabs for children aged 2 to 3 before Christmas.
Dr Alex Allen, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA said, “Anyone with flu or COVID-19 symptoms – including high temperature, cough, and feeling tired or achy – should minimise contact with others, especially those who are vulnerable.”
“If you need to go out with symptoms, consider wearing a face covering, wash hands regularly and ensure indoor spaces are well ventilated,” he added.
