Winter viruses: we can do more to prevent a surge in cases
An extended flu vaccine rollout would benefit public health and the economy, writes Lindsay Broadbent Every year, as the weather turns colder, we can’t go far without hearing someone cough or sniffle. The “cold and flu” season is nothing new, but we need to do more to tackle winter illness. The end of 2024 saw a “quademic,” with high incidence of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), covid-19, and the winter vomiting bug (norovirus) all putting pressure on the NHS. The number of hospital admissions with influenza rose from 1190 to 5074—more than 300%—from the end of November to the end of December.1 This was triple the number of admissions recorded at the same point last year. As hospitals throughout the UK declare critical incidents, we shouldn’t be surprised by the demand on healthcare services during winter. High rates of hospital admissions with flu aren’t unprecedented: we saw a similar peak in the 2022-23 winter season.2 But we should be doing more to tackle the winter vi
