Flu levels continue to rise with fears millions are not yet vaccinated

PATIENTS URGED TO TAKE ACTION AS ADMISSIONS HIT FIGURES NOT NORMALLY SEEN UNTIL DECEMBER

- By IAN JONES

HOSPITAL admissions for flu are continuing to rise, with infections circulating at levels not typically seen until early December, figures show.

Health officials have warned that many people at risk of flu may be unaware they are eligible for a vaccine, as less than a third of those with a long-term health condition have received this year's jab.

The rate of hospital admissions for flu in England stood at 3.8 per 100,000 people last week, up from 2.4 the previous week, according to data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

While this is well below the peaks reached in recent years, it is a level of admissions usually not reached until the start of December and is further evidence the current flu season has started “unusually early”, the UKHSA said.

At this point in 2024 the rate stood at only 1.1 per 100,000 people, while in 2023 it was 0.4 and in 2022 - the worst flu season for a decade - it was 1.4.

Admission rates are highest among people aged 85 and over, at 14.2 per 100,000 people, up week on week from 13.4; for children aged four and under, at 12.2 (up from 6.2); and 75 to 84-year-olds, at 11.9 (up from 5.8).