Health leaders across the UK have united to urge people aged 65 and over to take advantage of the NHS’s biggest ever flu vaccination programme.
The number of winter deaths last year hit a record high in more than 40 years. With an estimated 50,100 excess winter deaths in England and Wales in 2017/18 – the highest recorded since winter 1975/76, experts blame the failure of last year’s flu jab to adequately protect members of the public from the influenza virus.
The announcement comes just one week after it was reported that England had achieved the target rate of getting 95% of children to have had the first dose of the MMR vaccine by their 5th birthday.
Woman who lost both her legs and all of the fingers on her left hand after contracting MenW shares video of her experiences.
A new review by the UK’s National Institute for Clinical Excellence has found offering medical professionals the choice between receiving the flu vaccine or wearing a face mask at all times the most effective means of increasing uptake amongst healthcare workers.
Public Health England has reported that Pertussis vaccine coverage in pregnant women averaged 70% across May to September 2016, 14% higher than the same period in 2015.