Health bosses issue warning after half of vulnerable people in North East missed vital flu jabs

Fewer than half of vulnerable people with long-term health conditions in our region got their annual flu jab last year.

Health bosses have pointed to the concerning statistics as part of a push to improve vaccine take-up and protect the public and the NHS during what is anticipated to be a busy winter. Vaccine rates for older people were 79.5% in 2023-2024 - still relatively high but down on the 82% seen a year earlier.

And when it comes to younger people who have long-term conditions that mean they are both eligible for a jab and encouraged to get one, the rate fell from over 50% to just 42%. Just a third of pregnant women were jabbed, and only 44% of two and three-year-olds had the potentially life-saving intervention.

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Health chiefs at the UK Health Security Agency have launched a campaign urging people to "get winter strong" and get their jabs - while last week the region's NHS leaders highlighted how both the flu and Covid-19 jabs were our "best defence" against the viruses.

This comes as UKHSA bosses highlighted how last year a flu epidemic peak saw "a sudden increase" in hospitalisations both in the week before Christmas and the last week in January. Across winters in between 2022 and 2024, there were also an astonishing 19,500 deaths due to Covid-19 - and getting that vaccination is also a focus.

The new campaign also encourages pregnant women to get their RSV and whooping cough jabs - to prevent potentially lethal illnesses that could affect their babies when they are born.

Dr Joanne Darke, Consultant in Health Protection at UKHSA North East, said: "As winter approaches we are likely to see many viruses circulating, which can cause severe and even life-threatening illness for those most at risk. And with people socialising more indoors these viruses spread much more easily. Getting vaccinated ahead of winter is by far your best defence.

"If you’re pregnant or have certain long-term health conditions you are at greater risk of getting seriously ill. Older people and young infants with flu are also much more likely to get hospitalised. So if you or your child are offered the flu, COVID-19 or RSV vaccines, don’t delay in getting them. Please speak to your nurse or doctor if you have any concerns."

Those eligible for flu and Covid-19 jabs include the over-65s, those who are pregnant, those living in an older-person's care home, frontline health and care staff, and anyone with an underlying health condition. Flu jabs are also recommended for those aged two to 16 and close contacts of anyone with a compromised immune system.

If someone is unsure about vaccination, they should speak with a health professional such as a doctor or midwife or find out more on the NHS website.