Flu activity in England is rising earlier than usual, but overall levels remain very low. Health officials are urging eligible people to get vaccinated ahead of winter.
In an announcement on Thursday, 8 October, the UK Health Security Agency said flu activity during September was higher than in the same period in each of the previous four winter seasons. It said flu trends had been rising since August, with possible signs of an early season.
More flu tests return positive results
The agency’s surveillance report, covering the week ending 4 October, recorded a seven-day flu test positivity rate of 6.5%, up from 5% a week earlier. This measures the share of reported tests that were positive, rather than the share of England’s population with flu.
Visits to emergency departments for flu-like illness also increased and were above the levels expected for the time of year.
The flu hospital admission rate was 1.97 per 100,000 people in the areas served by 25 reporting NHS trusts. A comparison with the previous week was unavailable because this season’s hospital monitoring had only just started. The hospital figures are provisional and may be updated.
UKHSA described overall flu activity as very low. An early rise does not show how severe the winter season will be.
Vaccination advice
UKHSA said two types of influenza A, H1N1 and H3N2, were circulating in England. One H1N1 strain had changed from the version used to make this year’s vaccine. It was too early to know whether that strain would spread widely or how well the vaccine would work against it.
This season’s flu vaccine includes components to protect against H1N1, H3N2 and influenza B. UKHSA said flu vaccines generally continue to protect against severe illness even when circulating strains have changed.
According to the NHS, people eligible for a free flu vaccine include those aged 65 or over, pregnant women and adults with certain long-term health conditions. Other groups also qualify. Frontline health and social care workers can get vaccinated through their employer.
Eligible people can check the NHS guidance and arrange vaccination through a GP surgery, a participating pharmacy, or the NHS App.
COVID-19 also rises
COVID-19 test positivity in hospital settings rose from 7.9% to 9.1%. The hospital admission rate increased from 1.75 to 2.04 per 100,000 people in the areas served by reporting trusts. The latest admission figures came from 97 NHS trusts. Overall COVID-19 activity remained low.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), another respiratory virus, remained at very low overall levels.
