Overview
- UKHSA says flu hospital admissions in England rose to 3.8 per 100,000 from 2.4 in a week, a level typically not seen until December.
- Sequencing points to a drifted H3N2 subclade K with multiple new mutations, and early analyses indicate vaccines remain protective, with about 70–75% effectiveness in children and 30–40% in adults against hospital visits.
- NHS England has released 2.4 million vaccination appointments and widened pharmacy booking options, as local services add drop‑ins, mobile clinics and school programs.
- Large coverage gaps persist in under‑65s at clinical risk, pregnant women and many toddlers, which officials warn could translate into additional winter pressure on NHS services.
- International detections in Canada and Japan and rising surveillance signals in North America have prompted a UKHSA five‑step checklist urging hygiene, ventilation, staying home when ill and considering face coverings.