Prime Highlight
- Health officials in Bristol are urging residents to get their flu vaccine as soon as possible due to a rapidly spreading new flu strain.
- Public health leaders warn that low vaccine uptake among high-risk groups could worsen the 2025 flu season, potentially straining hospitals and GP practices.
Key Facts
- The NHS provides free flu vaccines to millions of high-risk individuals, including adults over 65, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions.
- Over 13 million people in the UK have received their flu vaccine so far in 2025, about five million fewer than the same period last year.
Background
People across Bristol are being urged to get their flu vaccine as soon as possible, as health officials warn that cases are rising earlier and faster than expected. Concerns have grown after a new flu strain mutated suddenly during the summer, prompting fears that the 2025 flu season could become the worst in ten years.
Public health leaders say vaccine uptake among those most at risk remains worryingly low. Alastair Wood, a public health consultant at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), told the BBC that fewer people with long-term health conditions in Bristol had come forward for their flu jab compared with other parts of the country. He stressed that vaccination remains the most effective way to protect individuals and reduce the spread of the virus. “We just want to make sure everybody knows how important it is. It’s the best thing to protect themselves and those around them,” he said.
The NHS offers the flu vaccine for free each year to millions of people who face a higher risk from infection, including adults over 65, people with chronic health conditions, and pregnant women. So far, more than 13 million people across the UK have received their vaccine. However, this number is around five million fewer than during the same period last year, leading officials to call for urgent action.
Wood warned that rising flu cases could place extra strain on GP practices and hospitals over the winter months. He said people with long-term conditions face a far greater risk of serious complications, hospitalisation, or even death if they catch the virus. Officials are urging all eligible individuals to come forward quickly to help reduce pressure on health services and limit the impact of the new strain.
