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.
From next week, the UKHSA will begin its 'scaled-up' ‘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.
| 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.
A version of this story first appeared on our sister title Pulse.
Keep your clinical knowledge up to date with The Pharmacist
Extend your learning and record your learning outcomes
Have your say
Please add your comment in the box below. You can include links, but HTML is not permitted. Please note that comments are not moderated before publication and the views expressed are those of the user and do not reflect the views of The Pharmacist. Remember that submission of comments is governed by our Terms and Conditions. You can also read our full guidelines on article comments here – but please be aware that you are legally liable for any libellous or offensive comments that you make. If you have a complaint about a comment or are concerned that a comment breaches our terms and conditions, please use the ‘Report this comment’ function to alert our web team.