Chief Nurse Issues Urgent Appeal for Flu Vaccinations
England’s Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) has made an urgent call to those eligible to book their flu vaccination appointments promptly, ahead of the peak flu season.
Early Season Warning
Duncan Burton recently highlighted that this flu season started unusually early, with particularly high infection rates among children and young people. The CNO emphasized the limited time remaining before the flu season worsens and urged immediate action.
"It is only weeks to go before the worst of the flu season typically bites," said the Chief Nursing Officer, encouraging eligible individuals to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Vaccination Availability and Eligibility
NHS England announced that 2.4 million new vaccination slots will become available next week. Vaccines are offered to:
- People aged 65 and over
- Under-65s in clinical risk groups
- Care home residents and carers
- Pregnant women
- Close contacts of immunosuppressed individuals
- Frontline health and social care workers
- Children
Current Vaccination Progress
Since the rollout began in September, over 13 million flu vaccines have been administered nationwide. Vaccination coverage among care home residents has reached nearly 60%, with 2.3 million doses given to eligible children so far.
"Three in five of all care home residents have now been protected against flu (59.4%)."
Author’s summary: The Chief Nursing Officer stresses the urgency of booking a flu jab now, as early data reveal high infection levels and vaccinations accelerate but remain critical to controlling the season’s impact.