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Join today<\/a><\/p>\n \n Already a member? England<\/a> could be set for an early flu season<\/a> with hospital admissions at a \u201chigh\u201d level for this time of year, according to health officials.<\/p>\n The NHS<\/a> National Medical Director, Professor Frankie Swords, warned there were \u201cslightly ominous\u201d signs of winter pressure for the health service.<\/p>\n While levels of flu<\/a> are currently low, figures from September have been higher than the same period for the last four years, according to the first weekly winter respiratory virus surveillance report by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Trends have been rising since August, with increases being driven by young adults.<\/p>\n Prof Swords told a briefing: \u201cFrom an NHS perspective, it is very early in the season, but the number of admissions for flu are the highest that I can remember seeing at this time of year, and it\u2019s coincided with just the start of the expected increase in Covid cases<\/a> in our hospitals.<\/p>\n \u201cBut this is coming on the back of the busiest summer we\u2019ve ever had in our emergency departments; we have got very, very busy hospitals.<\/p>\n \u201cSo slightly ominous early signs of winter pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n UKHSA figures show hospital admissions for flu were 1.97 per 100,000 for the week to October 4.<\/p>\n There are three types of flu virus, and while it is too early to know which one may dominate this winter, the current vaccine protects against all three.<\/p>\n Early data show there is an equal mix of subtypes A(H3N2) and A(H1N1) in England, the UKHSA said.<\/p>\n Prof Swords revealed 3.9 million people have already had their flu vaccination since the start of last month.<\/p>\n The NHS started vaccinating pregnant women, toddlers and school-age children from September 1, with over 65s and other eligible adults offered it from October 1.<\/p>\n \u201cIn September, on average, 95 per cent of our occupancy was used every day, and that\u2019s September,\u201d Prof Swords added.<\/p>\n \u201cSo although the weather\u2019s still nice, and perhaps people aren\u2019t thinking too much about flu at the moment, please, we are acting early, and I\u2019d really encourage people to act early.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause winter is coming, and the pressure is going to build and rise as temperatures fall.\u201d<\/p>\n Flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include:<\/p>\n a sudden high temperaturean aching bodyfeeling tired or exhausteda dry cougha sore throata headachedifficulty sleepingloss of appetite<\/p>\n Analysis suggests that the vaccination programme in England last winter prevented around 100,000 hospital admissions and 7,000 deaths.<\/p>\n
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Analysis suggests that the vaccination programme in England last winter prevented around 100,000 hospital admissions (Getty)<\/p>\n