NHS issues flu jab SOS as winter approaches
The NHS has issued a flu vaccination alert, urging people in England to get protected ahead of the peak winter months. England’s chief nurse emphasized that time is running short before the hardest-hit period of the flu season.
“The NHS is calling on eligible adults to get their jab as soon as possible to stamp out the early wave of flu,” she said.
Cases have tripled compared to the same time last year, and the current surge is arriving more than a month earlier than usual. In response, the health service will open 2.4 million new vaccination slots next week — enough to cover the populations of Greater Manchester or Botswana.
This year’s warning follows what health experts describe as the most severe flu season in Australia’s history, which often serves as a reliable indicator for trends in the UK.
Progress of the vaccination campaign
- Over 13 million flu vaccines have already been administered nationwide (13,299,775).
- Three out of five care home residents (59.4%) are now protected through coordinated efforts between care homes and NHS vaccination teams.
- Creative solutions such as mobile vaccination buses and local pop-up clinics are helping bring vaccines closer to those in need.
- 2.3 million children have been vaccinated, including 400,000 two- and three-year-olds — about one-third of eligible toddlers (33%).
Summary
NHS England is ramping up its flu vaccination drive with millions of new slots, urging early action to curb an unusually aggressive flu season that mirrors Australia’s record-high outbreaks.