Millions of people are being urged to have flu and Covid vaccines after experts said they were increasingly worried about a bad flu spike this winter.
Anyone eligible should get their jabs to ease the spike, officials at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned. They said there will be lower levels of natural immunity compared to previous years as people socialised less during the pandemic.
One expert said they were more worried about flu this year than they had been for several years. The UKHSA warned of a possible “difficult winter” ahead as respiratory viruses, including flu and Covid, circulate widely.
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International surveillance shows the UK can expect the spread of H3N2 (a subtype of influenza type A), which is currently the most commonly detected flu virus worldwide. H3N2 has recently caused waves of infection in countries including Australia, which has just had its winter.
The vaccine used by the UK is designed to fight this strain. In 2017/2018, the H3N2 flu strain led to a severe UK flu season, with around 20,000 deaths and 40,000 hospital admissions.
It did circulate in the UK last winter but less mixing due to Covid-19 means there is little immunity to it. Under plans announced on Wednesday, around 33 million people in England will be eligible for a free flu vaccine this year, including all primary-age and some secondary-age children, who will be offered the nasal spray.
Around 26 million people in England are also eligible for the autumn Covid-19 booster vaccine. People who qualify for both jabs could be offered the flu and Covid jab at the same time if supply allows, though in different arms.
The UKHSA said that, in addition to a predicted flu wave, there are “early indications” that Covid rates are beginning to rise ahead of winter.
Who is eligible for the flu jab?
Those eligible for the flu jab are: people aged 50 and over; those aged six months to 49 with a specified health condition; secondary school-aged children focusing on Years 7, 8 and 9 with any remaining vaccine offered to Years 10 and 11; primary school-aged children; pregnant women; those in care homes, frontline health and social care staff; carers and the household contacts of people with weakened immune systems.
These people can get a jab from their GP surgery or pharmacies offering an NHS vaccine service. GPs are also inviting children aged two and three years old (as of August 31) for the nasal spray vaccine.
Who is eligible for the Covid booster?
People who qualify for the autumn/winter Covid booster include: adults aged 50 and over; those aged five to 49 with health conditions that put them at greater risk; pregnant women; care home workers and frontline health and social care workers; carers and the household contacts of people with weakened immune systems.
All those eligible for a booster can now book online apart from people aged 50 to 64 (who are not in an at-risk group), who will be able to get one later this autumn.
Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser 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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