Health officials are worried because this will be the first winter Covid and flu circulate fully at the same time. Research shows those infected with both viruses are more than twice as likely to die as someone with Covid alone. More than 40 million people across the UK - 35 million in England - are being offered a jab this year in the biggest flu vaccination campaign so far. And this includes, for the first time, all secondary-school children up to the age of Alongside the extended flu campaign, the overs and younger adults with health conditions are also being offered a Covid booster jab this autumn and winter.
Dr Jenny Harries, head of the newly formed UK Health Security Agency, warned the level of immunity to flu was likely to be lower this winter because very little of the virus had been circulating last year, because of social distancing and lockdown. Prof Wendy Barclay, professor of virology at Imperial College London, told the BBC's Today Programme that it had been trickier to gauge which flu strains to cover with this year's vaccine because cases had been so low last year.
England's deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam said "we need to take this seriously and defend ourselves" by taking the vaccines when offered. Flu kills about 11, people on average every winter in England and during the last bad flu winter of the toll was more than double that - with more than deaths a day during the peak.
Flu and the other winter viruses also lead to more than 1, hospital admissions a day in winter months - more, currently, than is being seen for Covid. Shots were given on the same day, in opposite arms. One group had a COVID shot and a flu jab in a first visit, with a placebo given in a second visit, and another had a COVID shot and a placebo given on the same day, followed by a flu vaccine on the second day.
The study involved volunteers at 12 sites across England and Wales, and was released as a pre-print, with full results due to be published in the Lancet. All persons aged 6 months of age and older are recommended for annual flu vaccination, with rare exception.
Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications. If you have one of the following conditions, talk with your health care provider. He or she can help decide whether vaccination is right for you, and select the best vaccine for your situation:. People who can get a nasal spray flu vaccine: The nasal spray vaccine is approved for people 2 years through 49 years of age.
Many people in this age group can receive the nasal spray vaccine, including people with egg allergies. The nasal spray vaccine is not recommended for some groups.
People who should talk to their health care provider before getting a nasal spray vaccine:. When vaccine supply is limited, vaccination efforts should focus on delivering vaccination to the following people no hierarchy is implied by order of listing :. However, adults 50 years and older are a priority group for vaccination because they may be more likely to have chronic medical conditions that put them at higher risk of severe influenza illness. People who have a history of severe egg allergy those who have had any symptom other than hives after exposure to egg should be vaccinated in a medical setting, supervised by a health care provider who is able to recognize and manage severe allergic reactions.
Two completely egg-free ovalbumin-free flu vaccine options are available: quadrivalent recombinant vaccine and quadrivalent cell-based vaccine. To receive weekly email updates about Seasonal Flu, enter your email address:.
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