Overview
- UKHSA reports an unusually early flu season with test positivity rising to 10.9% last week, driven largely by school-aged children.
- Cases are about three times higher than at this point last year, prompting an urgent vaccination appeal from health leaders.
- NHS England is adding 2.4 million appointments next week and widening delivery through nearly 4,000 pharmacies, mobile clinics and in‑care‑home programmes.
- More than 13 million flu vaccines have been administered so far, yet only 33.4% of eligible two‑ and three‑year‑olds are vaccinated and historically just 40% of under‑65s in clinical risk groups take up the jab.
- UKHSA estimates 7,757 flu deaths in England last winter versus 3,555 the year before, and it says vaccination prevented around 100,000 hospitalisations, leading experts to warn of the potential for thousands more severe cases this winter.