The NHS is rolling out double vaccines for people aged 75 and over from October to protect against winter viruses. The vaccines are the flu jab and the autumn Covid booster, both offered free of charge from this month.
The seasonal flu vaccination programme begins in autumn, well ahead of winter, so people have protection before respiratory viruses reach their peak. Flu typically peaks around December and January, but the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned this week that flu cases are already rising, suggesting the flu season has started early this year.
Rising infections and hospital admissions
The rise in flu coincides with a surge in Covid-19 infections, with the XFG variant – also known as 'Stratus' or 'American Covid' – driving a sharp rise in cases across the UK last month. UKHSA figures show 4,589 new infections were reported in September, a 230% increase from just 1,374 cases in August. Hospital admissions involving Covid-19 also jumped from 950 in August to 4,939 in September, with more than half of positive tests linked to the XFG strain.
While current data suggests the XFG variant does not lead to more serious illness than other Covid strains in circulation, getting vaccinated can help protect against severe disease and hospitalisation – and this applies to flu as well.
Health officials urge early vaccination
Both the NHS and UKHSA are urging those who are eligible not to wait for winter to get vaccinated, as it takes a couple of weeks for the vaccines to provide full protection. NHS National Medical Director Professor Frankie Swords said: “Staff are already seeing the ominous early signs of pressure, with more patients coming to A&E with flu and other respiratory viruses than usual for this time of year, and unfortunately, many people are still waiting longer than we would like them to.
“This is why it’s absolutely crucial to take up the offer of flu, RSV, COVID-19 and other vaccinations if you’re eligible, to protect yourself, your family and the public. We all have our part to play, so please don’t wait for winter – come forward to your GP or pharmacy now and get protected.”
Who is eligible and how to book
The autumn Covid-19 vaccination programme opened on October 1 and is offered to those at the highest risk of disease, including adults aged 75 years and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and individuals who are immunosuppressed, aged six months and over. The flu jab programme opened to older adults aged 65 and over from October 1, so if you haven’t done so already, you can now book an appointment.
The October rollout also includes people aged 18 to 65 who are in a clinical risk group, those in long-stay residential care homes, carers in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, close contacts of immunocompromised people, and frontline workers in a social care setting. The NHS will contact you when you can get your flu vaccine, which will either be available from your GP surgery or a pharmacy that offers NHS flu vaccination.
The UKHSA said: “Because flu activity is already trending higher than usual for this point in the year, and because it takes a couple of weeks for the vaccine to provide full protection, getting vaccinated sooner rather than later gives you the best chance of being protected before flu takes hold more widely. If this does turn into an early season, waiting could mean you're exposed during the period before your immunity has had time to build.”
