THERE was an increase in the uptake of flu vaccines at GP practices across England during the week ending December 15, according to Public Health England’s latest report.
Breaking that down into groups; 69.3 per cent of those people were over 65, 38.5 per cent were under 65 and 39.5 per cent were pregnant women.
Data from frontline healthcare workers showed 61.5 per cent of people were vaccinated by November 30, compared to 61 per cent vaccinated in the previous season.
The second monthly collection of flu vaccine uptake data for primary school children indicated 46.4 per cent of the uptake was reception age, 45.8 per cent school year 1, 45 per cent year 2, 43.7 per cent year 3, 43.2 per cent year 4, 41.3 per cent year 5 and 39.7 per cent in year 6.
There were also 586 hospitalised flu cases across the UK, a rate of 6.85 per 100,000 population compared with 5.13 in the previous week.
There were 174 admissions to intensive care reported.
Indicators suggested that respiratory syncytial virus activity was starting to plateau but continuing to circulate among the under-fives in England.
