NHS bosses have been accused of a ‘botched’ vaccine rollout which has contributed to the superflu crisis gripping the UK.
The health service is currently facing a ‘worst case scenario’ amid a record number of flu cases for this time of year, having leapt by 55 per cent in seven days to an average of 2,660 patients in hospital daily last week.
Children are bearing the brunt of the disease which is sweeping across the nation, with those aged between five and 14-years-old the most susceptible to the current strain of the virus, according to data released this week.
Pharmacy leaders have claimed the spread of the virus could have been slowed if flu jabs were handed out earlier, blaming poor communications for a ‘botched’ rollout.
More than half of children eligible for vaccines currently remain unvaccinated, sparking fears they could spread it on to older relatives during Christmas time, who tend to be more vulnerable to flu.
Despite the ongoing crisis, resident doctors are set to walkout on Wednesday. The medics – previously known as junior doctors – are demanding a 26 per cent pay rise on top of the 28.9 per cent uplift they pocketed over the past three years.
Keir Starmer urged doctors not take part in the ‘reckless’ strikes, saying it is ‘frankly beyond belief’ they are going ahead and risk placing ‘the NHS and patients who need it in grave danger’.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has also warned the ‘double whammy’ of flu and the looming doctors’ strike could collapse the entire NHS.
Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, told The Telegraph that this year’s vaccine rollout began in October – a month later than usual.
She said: ‘This year it started in October and they did a botched job communicating it. There just was not enough awareness among the public so people were not coming forward.
‘Starting in October was too late, but also didn’t allow for teething problems, and there were a lot of them.’
Reports earlier this week suggested that some people have struggled to get an appointment for a jab, sparking panic on social media.
Nick Thayer, Head of Policy for The Company Chemists’ Association, which represents large chains such as Boots and Superdrug, confirmed that some pharmacies are running low on the vaccine and you might need to shop around.
He said: ‘There is no national shortage of flu vaccines, but the bulk of them are administered in October and November.
‘By the time you get to December some places are running low, and some will have none left from their original allocation.
‘There are a lot of places you can get vaccinated, but you might need to look around a bit – look on the websites for pharmacies, look on the NHS website, if you are eligible for a free jab or talk to your local pharmacy and ask.’
The NHS says it’s come face-to-face with its ‘worst case scenario’, after the number of patients hospitalised with flu jumped by 55 per cent in one week. This has been exacerbated by a low uptake of the vaccine among children and NHS staff
Just 43.2 per cent of frontline health workers having had the jab, while around four million children aged between two and 17 remain unvaccinated, despite the jab being handed out for free in schools.
Teachers are also coming down with the disease as it sweeps through classrooms, with some schools forced to close due to high levels of staff absence.
NHS England have launched a fresh drive to boost vaccination rates by contacting teachers and parents and making snap visits to schools with low vaccination rates.
Some schools are already taking precautions and have reinstated Covid-like restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus, such as introducing hand sanitation sites and minimising close contact where possible.
Data released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), shows that children aged between five and 14-years-old are the most susceptible to the current strain of the virus.
With Christmas less than a fortnight away, there are concerns that the super spreader age group will infect elderly relatives between now and the New Year.
Older people tend to be more vulnerable to flu, partly because their immune systems are weaker, and also because they often have existing conditions which can make it easier for illnesses to take hold.
Fears of intergenerational mixing prompted health chiefs to issue an urgent plea to parents to get their children a flu vaccination in a bid to protect their grandparents at Christmas.
Children aged two to 16-years-old, as well as children aged 17 who have certain long-term health conditions, are eligible for free flu vaccination on the NHS, usually in the form of a nasal spray.
People who are aged over 65, those with long term health conditions, pregnant women, care home residents and carers are also eligible for a free jab.
Those in other groups can get the same vaccine for between £15 and £25 from high street pharmacists.
Dr Conall Watson, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA warned earlier this week: ‘There is still plenty of flu vaccine available to protect those who need it—what’s running out is time to be protected ahead of Christmas.
‘If you are eligible this is the last chance to get protected as we head into Christmas so make an appointment with the NHS today.
‘If your child has missed out on their vaccination with the school immunisation team, you should still be able to get vaccinated through a community clinic over the next few weeks.’
The major difference between this years unprecedented flu season and previous years is that the mutant strain—called H3N2—started spreading as early as October this year.
Flu and colds are both on the rise, but the H3N2 flu strain is believed to be behind the spike in cases, because there is less ‘natural immunity in the community’ against it, according to the UKHSA.
Dubbed subclade K or the ‘super flu’, the virus mutated seven times over the summer, enabling it evade previous immunity, putting older adults severely at risk of hospitalisation and even death and putting untold strain on the NHS this winter.
The number of patients in hospital each with the influenza and other types of respiratory illness has been rising sharply across England, with an average of 2,660 flu patients in hospital last week—up from just 1,717 the week before.
