Britons are being urged to get a flu jab this autumn – after vaccination rates fell across England last year

Health experts are urging Britons to get vaccinated against the flu this autumn, as a report shows vaccination rates fell across all parts of England last year.

Australia has been gripped by influenza in recent months after the outbreak struck early and hard, with some regions reporting high hospital admissions due to the virus.

Fears have emerged that the NHS could face a similar fate if measures are not taken to increase participation in this year’s flu programme, which starts next month.

A new analysis of official data by policy organisation Future Health has found that 230,000 fewer people will have been vaccinated against flu in England in 2023/24 than would have been the case if previous figures had been maintained.

Rates fell across all 42 integrated care boards, which determine how NHS money is spent locally.

Seven ICBs even failed to meet the World Health Organization’s target of vaccinating 75 percent of eligible adults over 65 against the virus.

The Association of Directors of Public Health described the drop in admissions as “alarming” and said it required “urgent attention”.

It was stressed that it was vital that the public received information about the benefits of vaccination from trusted sources, rather than relying on the ‘misinformation often found on social media’.

And it was warned that more needs to be done to make it easier for people to travel to vaccination sites.

The highest flu vaccination rate of 83.5 per cent of eligible adults aged 65 and over was recorded in Gloucestershire and the lowest in North West London with a rate of just 64.4 per cent.

According to the Future Health report, the five ICBs with the lowest flu vaccination rates are all in London, followed by Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country.

Richard Sloggett, programme director at Future Health and former special adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care, said: ‘Despite the success of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, this research shows the NHS is struggling to deliver vaccinations to those who need them.

‘Vaccinations save lives and reduce hospital admissions, especially during the busy winter months.

‘The new government should seize this opportunity and put increasing vaccination rates across England at the heart of its winter planning.’

The Future Health report, commissioned by Pfizer, also looked at regional differences in vaccination rates against Covid-19, pneumococcal disease and shingles.

The five integrated care boards (ICBs) with the lowest rates were all in London, followed by Birmingham and Solihull and the Black Country, according to the Future Health report (file image)

The difference between the highest and lowest regional admissions ranges from 9.6 percent to 20.6 percent.

Analysis shows that if ICBs with below-average vaccination rates could reach the average for each of the four programs, more than 900,000 additional people would be vaccinated.

Reaching this level would reduce hospital admissions, ease pressure on the NHS and deliver wider economic benefits by reducing sick days.

Greg Fell, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said: ‘Vaccines are one of the most powerful tools we have to protect us from serious illness and death. No infection in living memory has achieved population immunity without vaccination.

‘That is why it is so important that we make it as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated. We do this by bringing the vaccines to the people and not putting up any barriers.’

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is expected to advise the government around mid-September on who should be vaccinated against the flu, with the rollout starting later that month or in October.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: ‘Flu is highly contagious and has the potential to have serious health consequences, particularly for people in the at-risk groups: people aged 65 and over, pregnant women and very young children, or those with long-term medical conditions.

‘We strongly advise anyone who belongs to a risk group, or who has regular contact with someone who belongs to that group, to get vaccinated when it is offered this year. This is the most effective way to protect yourself against flu.

An NHS spokesperson said: ‘Getting a flu, Covid or other vaccine is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself from serious illness this winter. Last year the NHS administered millions of vaccinations to eligible people of all ages across England.’