Everyone who can get free NHS flu vaccine now with hospitalisations up 50 per cent

The number of people in hospital with flu in England is at a record level

Everything to know about the surge in flu cases and how to get vaccinated

• Health officials have warned of an ‘unprecedented wave’ of flu infections this winter as hospital admissions in England reach an all-time high for this time of year.
• According to the first of this year’s NHS winter situation reports, an average of 1,717 flu patients were occupying beds in England each day last week, including 69 in critical care. The figure is 56 per cent higher than the same period in 2024, when the total was 1,098, with 39 in critical care. It also significantly surpasses levels observed at this point in both 2023 (243 patients) and 2022 (772).
• Last winter, flu numbers peaked at 5,408 patients in early January – the highest weekly figure recorded since the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Experts anticipate that we are yet to reach the peak of flu season, with hospitals likely to face increasing pressure in the lead-up to Christmas.
• Flu vaccines are accessible to everyone aged 65 and above, those under 65 in clinical risk groups, care home residents and carers, pregnant women, close contacts of immunosuppressed individuals, frontline health and social care workers, and children.
• Appointments and walk-in sessions can be found at local pharmacies, GP surgeries, and community clinic drop-in centres nationwide.
• The NHS releases weekly updates on hospital performance across England during the winter months. The latest update reveals that whilst flu cases have reached unprecedented levels for this period, figures for norovirus and Covid-19 remain below those recorded in previous winters.
• An average of 263 hospital beds in England were occupied last week by patients suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, compared with 756 at this point in 2024.
• There was an average of 825 patients in hospital beds each day who had tested positive for Covid-19, lower than the 1,390 for this week last year.
• Read the full story here: 69 people in critical care, 1,717 in hospital as virus surges 50 per cent