Almost 3,000 people died in England and Wales due to pneumonia and influenza in December, a quarter higher than in a typical year, in what is expected to be the worst flu season in a decade.
Flu and pneumonia were the leading cause of “excess death” in England in December with 574 extra deaths, 26% above the average, while flu deaths in Wales were 11% higher and the fourth most common cause of death that month.
