Worst flu outbreak in 40 YEARS hits Britain - Hospitalisations up 40 per cent in one week

Eligible Brits have been urged to come forward for the flu jab amid a spate of hospitalisations.

There are now more people being admitted to hospital with flu than Covid for the first time since the pandemic began.

New figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) shows flu hospitalisations in England have jumped by more than 40 percent in a week.

Health officials are not optimistic over the trend, suggesting more hospitalisations are to come.

Those at risk, children under the age of five and adults aged 85 and over, are being exposed more often, with data showing rates have more than doubled for people within these groups.

Experts warn increased mixing outdoors during the cold weather is putting people more at risk to catching viruses.

Nurses across the country are commencing strikes in a bid for better pay, while the backlog of people watching for surgery has reached 7.2million, making the flu outbreak an extremely concerning development.

Dr Conall Watson, Consultant Epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, told The Sun: "Flu is now circulating widely and we have seen a sharp rise in the rate of hospitalisations for flu this week, particularly among the under 5s and over 85s.

"Admissions are now at the highest point since the 2017/18 season and we are expecting case numbers to continue increasing as we move further into winter.

"The flu vaccine offers the best protection against severe illness and it’s not too late for everyone eligible to get it. Uptake is particularly low in those aged two and three so if your child is eligible please take up the offer."

The NHS is also dealing with a Strep A outbreak, which has killed 19 children so far.

A shortage of penicillin and other antibiotics across the UK is putting huge strains on NHS 111 and pharmacists as they deal with an ongoing health crisis.