England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, has warned that infections in older people are often managed in a 'hit and miss' manner, contrasting with the systematic approach used for children. In his annual report for 2025, he called for more research into preventing and treating infections in the elderly, a growing demographic.
Data from England in 2023 shows that the vast majority of infectious disease deaths occurred among older adults, primarily from respiratory infections or Covid. Whitty noted that even moderate infections like cellulitis can severely impact quality of life, leaving older people housebound and unable to socialise.
He highlighted that infections can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other heart problems in the elderly. There is also an association between severe infections and dementia, though it remains unclear if infections cause dementia or accelerate its onset. Delirium is another common consequence.
Whitty emphasised the importance of hand-washing, food hygiene, vaccination, and avoiding visits when ill. While cautioning against overuse of antibiotics, he argued for a lower prescribing threshold in older people due to higher sepsis risk. He also defended raising the age for Covid boosters and urged uptake of other vaccines, including the new RSV jab.
Professor Arne Akbar from UCL welcomed the focus on infections in older age, saying better management could improve quality of life and reduce pressure on health services. The report also warned of threats to cervical cancer elimination from falling HPV vaccination rates, declining vaccine uptake in pregnant women, and drops in childhood vaccinations, especially in London and deprived areas.
Whitty dismissed claims of a vaccine-sceptical UK, attributing the decline to practical access issues. The report noted a rise in imported infections like malaria and stressed the need to maintain pandemic preparedness, calling infections 'entirely predictable' even if their timing is not.
