The UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) is urging healthcare professionals to come forward for their flu jab and Covid booster, amid ‘lower than expected’ uptake.
In all, 24% of NHS workers have received their flu vaccine and 14% have received their Covid vaccine. The highest uptake is in the South West of England.
It comes as GP practices in England were left confused by the omission of GPs and frontline staff eligibility for autumn Covid boosters in the Green Book.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) this year decided that the national autumn vaccination offer would extend to all primary and community healthcare staff involved in direct patient care, despite not being recommended by the JCVI.
This means nurses, GPs and other patient-facing staff are eligible for the autumn Covid booster and can book an appointment via the National Booking Service if their practice does not have sufficient stock.
UKHSA said it was expecting more healthcare professionals to come forward during November and into December but this level of uptake at this time of year was ‘lower than we expect to see’.
The latest flu surveillance figures showed positivity increasing from 3.9% to 6.5% in a week, with hospitals seeing more emergency department admissions for flu.
Dr Suzanna McDonald, national lead for the influenza immunisation programme at UKHSA, said: ‘We understand how busy healthcare workers are at this time of year and coping with winter illnesses adds increased pressure. This is why we are urging all staff to get vaccinated and protect themselves, their patients and their families from these illnesses.
‘We encourage all healthcare workers to come forward for vaccination, to ensure they are protected heading into the peak season and as we approach Christmas – don’t let these nasty illnesses spoil your plans either, if you’re celebrating.’
Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccinations and screening, said: ‘Staff across the NHS have been working incredibly hard to ensure as many eligible people as possible are vaccinated against flu ahead of winter, with hundreds of thousands of staff having already protected themselves by getting the flu jab.
‘Flu has a serious impact on the health of thousands of people every year, and the NHS needs as many of its staff as possible to be fighting fit over the coming months by getting their flu and Covid-19 vaccines before Christmas.’
Government advisers have greatly narrowed the groups who they recommend for Covid vaccine eligibility on the NHS next autumn, saying the disease is becoming endemic.
A version of this article was first published by our sister title Pulse
