Flu killed nearly 4,000 last winter and experts warn this season's start looks 'ominous'

Nearly 4,000 older Britons died from flu last winter, with UKHSA figures showing 3,798 excess deaths — the vast majority among over-65s — as hospital admissions in September are already running higher than in any of the past four years. Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams urged eligible people not to be complacent and to book flu, Covid-19 and RSV jabs immediately. The vaccination programme did prevent an estimated 104,000 hospital admissions and 7,100 deaths last winter, even as adult vaccine effectiveness fell to between 21% and 34%. Of the 3,798 who died, 3,442 were aged 65 and over.

Age UK's Caroline Abrahams warned flu should 'never be dismissed as just a bad cold, particularly in later life.'

The RSV vaccine was around 82% effective at preventing hospital admissions in adults aged 75 to 79, despite lower overall adult flu jab effectiveness.

Covid-19 killed around 8,000 people in the UK during the same winter season, with up to 26,000 hospitalisations reported by NHS England alone.