Health security officials have raised concerns about falling flu vaccine uptake as new data reveals 18,000 deaths over the last two winters.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is launching a new ‘scaled-up’ campaign with NHS England to urge eligible people to get their flu and Covid-19 vaccination when invited.
Vaccination data for England showed a drop in flu vaccine uptake rates between 2022/23 and 2023/24 across all eligible groups, with only four in 10 people with long-term conditions taking up the offer last year.
The UKHSA also revealed new mortality figures which showed that between October and May in both 2022/23 and 2023/24 there were 18,000 deaths associated with flu, ‘despite last winter being a relatively mild flu season’.
This serves as a ‘stark reminder that flu is a deadly virus’, health officials said.
Patients began booking flu and Covid vaccines at GP practices last week, with appointments starting from Thursday this week.
From next week, the UKHSA will begin its ‘Get Winter Strong’ campaign which will run for 10 weeks and will appear on TV, radio, and social media channels.
Those eligible for these vaccinations include adults aged 65 and over, pregnant women and those with long-term health conditions.
GP practices are also now offering the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine to eligible groups as part of essential contractual services.
2023/24 2024/25 Aged 65 and over 79.9% 77.8% Aged six months to under 65 years with one or more long-term health conditions 49.1% 41.4% Pregnant women 35% 32.1% Two- and three-year-olds 43.7% 44.4%
NHS national director for vaccinations and screening Steve Russell said: ‘Today’s data showing there were almost 20,000 deaths associated to flu over the past two winters is a shocking reminder that this is a seriously dangerous virus, and I urge those who are eligible to book their vaccine appointment as soon as they can as it is our best way of protecting those who are vulnerable as winter approaches.’
Recent data showed that last year’s flu vaccine had a ‘significant impact’ with a 30% reduction in the number of those aged 65 and over being hospitalised and 74% reduction in those between two and 17 years of age.
Earlier this month, Pulse reported on GP concern about the lack of fridge space in practices to store the new RSV vaccine, which they said could create ‘huge problems’ for the rollout.
If we consider flu a ‘seriously dangerous virus’, should we not also do something about Covid, for which we still only have temporarily-effective vaccinations, and know that as well as many deaths (and very under-reported involvement in others) Covid is also damaging immune systems, increasing significantly rates of CVD, diabetes, and other conditions, possibly augmenting some benign childhood viruses to killer infections, and disabling huge numbers of NHS staff with long-covid, severely disrupting the economic activity of them, and the economy as a whole?
Where are we with offering traditional, adsorbed-protein-based immunisation with controlled amounts of Spike protein, and something longer-lasting against new variants as well as not so fast-waning immunity ?
And if there are going to be such higher numbers of Flu and RSV this winter as well as covid, how about re-introducing isolation and masking (with effective masks!) for ALL respiratory-virus-type illnesses, with supported sick-leave from all work employments, to protect the NHS, the economy, and the population health ?