The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging vulnerable groups to take up the flu vaccine as data shows last year’s programme prevented around 25,000 hospitalisations in England.

Even with these hospitalisations averted, excess winter deaths from flu were higher than those from COVID-19 in the 2022 to 2023 season, with over 14,000 recorded. Over 10,000 children were admitted to hospital and total hospitalisations for flu eclipsed those for COVID-19 at the peak of the season.