Warning of ‘most severe flu outbreak in decades’ as infections surge to December levels

NHS leaders have issued a “flu jab SOS” urging people to get protected

Top doctors are urging people to take up their flu vaccinations ahead of what could be the “most severe flu outbreak in decades” this winter.

Hospital admissions are already on the rise for the H3N2 strain, with infections hitting numbers not usually seen until December. Health bosses are concerned that many of the most vulnerable may not have received their vaccine yet as the NHS braces itself for a difficult winter.

Doctor Hilary Jones has explained more about the health service’s “SOS campaign”, which is encouraging people to get vaccinated this coming week.

“Australia had the worst flu for seven years,” he said. “What tends to happen there in their winter tends to follow here. We’re already seeing a spike in hospitalisations here, so the season has started early.”

Dr Hilary warned the flu is ‘much worse’ than a bad cold (Getty/iStock)

He added the flu virus mutates, meaning it can evade immunity built up over years of exposure and vaccinations. The current dominant strain in H3N2 developed seven mutations over the summer, meaning those who received vaccines last year may not be protected.

“We’re getting the warning now that this could be a very bad season for flu,” Dr Hilary said when he appeared on ITV’s Lorraine show. “The NHS have launched this SOS campaign saying there are 2.4 million appointments available next week for people to go and get their jabs. Many people are eligible for a free vaccination.”

He warned that flu is “much, much worse” than a bad cold, and can leave sufferers bed-bound for at least a week.

“We shouldn’t think of flu as being a bad cold, it’s much much worse,” Dr Hilary said. “Raging sore throat, high fever, aching muscles, you’re bed-bound for a week or so.”

The doctor explained flu should be taken seriously and can be deadly when picked up by the most vulnerable groups.

“Last year there were 70,000 excess deaths in Europe, 7,500 here,” he said. “Some of them were children - 53 children died of flu last winter. So it’s not just the elderly.”

Dr Hilary Jones urged people to get their flu jabs (Ian West/PA) (PA Archive)

He urged people to get vaccinated, saying immunisation is the “best way” to prevent getting seriously ill with the flu.

Flu vaccines are available for everyone aged 65 and over, under-65s in clinical risk groups, pregnant women, care-home residents and carers, close contacts of those who are immunosuppressed, frontline social care workers, and health and social care staff, as well as for children.

But he added anyone who does not qualify for the free vaccine can easily protect themselves by paying for the jab at a pharmacy.

“If you wanted to get one privately just walk into the pharmacy, you don’t have to make an appointment, you can just get it there and then,” he said.

Earlier this week, NHS England said it is making 2.4 million vaccination slots available next week, which it said was enough to vaccinate the whole of Greater Manchester or Botswana.

Public health minister Ashley Dalton said: “Vaccination is the best form of defence against flu – particularly for the most vulnerable. With flu cases already triple what they were this time last year, I urge everyone eligible to take up one of the 2.4 million appointments available next week.”