Public urged to get vaccines ahead of winter

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has urged those eligible for a free flu vaccine and Covid booster to get the jabs as soon as possible.

The agency has warned that this will be a difficult winter with wide circulation of respiratory viruses.

Covid restrictions last winter meant more people worked from home and mixed a lot less, so many people were protected from flu. However, it also means there is less natural immunity in the population.

In 2021 and 2022, there was record uptake of the flu jab in people over 65. However, there was lower uptake among those in clinical risk groups and pregnant people. These groups are being particularly encouraged to come forward this year.

This year, all primary school children and some secondary school children are eligible for the flu nasal spray. This is usually given at school. Two and three-year-olds are also being invited to GP surgeries for the nasal spray vaccination.

Covid rates are already starting to rise ahead of winter and statistics show that those who catch flu and Covid at the same time are almost twice as likely to die compared to those who only have Covid.

Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA, said: "Flu and COVID-19 are unpredictable but there are strong indications we could be facing the threat of widely circulating flu, lower levels of natural immunity due to less exposure over the last three winters and an increase in COVID-19 circulating with lots of variants that can evade the immune response. This combination poses a serious risk to our health, particularly those in high-risk groups.

"The H3N2 flu strain can cause particularly severe illness. If you are elderly or vulnerable because of other conditions you are at greater risk, so getting the flu jab is a sensible, potentially life-saving thing to do.

"We are extremely fortunate to have vaccines against these two diseases Most eligible groups have been selected because they are at higher risk of severe illness.

"Younger children are unlikely to have built up any natural immunity to flu and therefore it is particularly important they take the nasal spray vaccine this year. So, if you are offered a jab, please come forward to protect yourself and help reduce the burden on our health services."

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