Uptake of free flu vaccination fell this year for both older eligible people and younger high-risk groups, final reporting for the winter season shows.
The UK Health Security Agency said 74.6% of those aged over 65 years had the vaccine by the end of January compared with 77.8% last year and 79.9% in 2022/23.
For those under 65 years in a clinical risk group flu vaccine uptake was 39.7% down from 41.4% the previous year and 49.1% two years ago.
But the figures did show some rebounding in pregnant women, where uptake was 34.8% compared with 32.1% in 2023/24, the UKHSA figures showed.
This winter saw a later start to the influenza immunisation programme after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended the vaccine should be given closer to the start of the flu season.
In a letter sent to GPs last month, NHS England said it would stick with the same approach with the over-65s and clinical risk groups, who will need to wait until October for their jab. However, vaccination of pregnant women, school children and two-to-three-year-olds will be starting in September.
At the start of the 2024 campaign health security officials raised concerns about falling flu vaccine uptake as data showed 18,000 deaths over the last two winters.
The latest winter virus surveillance report, published last week, showed that:
- Flu activity decreased overall across most indicators and was at low to medium activity levels.
- Covid-19 activity showed a mixed picture across indicators and was circulating at baseline levels.
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity decreased across most indicators and was circulating at baseline levels.
A version of this article first appeared on our sister title, Pulse.
