Why England’s flu season could arrive early amid pressure on the NHS

• Health officials have warned that England could face an early flu season, with NHS England national medical director Professor Frankie Swords stating hospital admissions for the virus are the highest she can recall for this time of year.
• UK Health Security Agency figures show rising flu trends since August driven by young adults, adding to early winter pressures after NHS hospitals experienced an average 95 per cent occupancy rate in September following their busiest summer on record.
• More than 3.9 million people have already received their flu jab since September, with health leaders urging all eligible individuals to get vaccinated early to protect against circulating strains and ease pressure on emergency departments .
• Covid-19 activity is also gradually increasing, including the circulating XFG strain, but officials emphasise that the autumn vaccination programme specifically targets this variant and shows no evidence of causing more severe illness.
• In a separate development, the UK Government announced a 33.2 million pound investment into eight research projects aimed at protecting against future pandemic threats such as Ebola and plague.