New interim analysis from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) indicates that excess deaths in England associated with flu infection were higher (14,500) than the average figure (13,500) for the 5 years before the pandemic. This is the highest figure since the 2017 to 2018 season, when there were 22,500 excess deaths associated with flu.
The report also shows that the season started early in the winter, and peaked quickly. Hospitalisations across all ages were also higher than average.
The report also found that the vaccines employed last year were well matched to the predominant circulating strain. We now know that getting vaccinated cuts the risk of being hospitalised by flu by 25% in adults aged 65 years and older, 33% in the rest of the adult population and reduces the risk by 66% in children.
Therefore we now know that, according to the UKHSA, flu vaccination had an important role in preventing serious illness as well as keeping people out of hospital.
Dr Conall Watson, Consultant Epidemiologist, UKHSA, commented: “Flu returned at scale last winter after being locked out by COVID-19 control measures. Lower population immunity following flu’s absence played a part in the season starting relatively early and led to lots of people catching flu in a short timeframe.
“Many people needed advice from NHS 111 services and there were high numbers of severe flu episodes that required hospital care, placing pressure on the heath system.
“The best protection against getting seriously ill and needing hospitalisation is to get the flu vaccine ahead of winter. We have clear evidence that the protection from last season’s vaccine programme helped prevent a much worse winter.”
