Festive flu led to 10-year high of hospitalisations

Hospital admissions for flu this Christmas were at the highest level for more than a decade, with cases rising by almost 40 per cent in a week.

Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Its the highest hospital admissions we’ve seen in at least a decade.”

Admissions were particularly high in under-5s and those 65 and over.

In total, there were 14.82 admissions per 100,000 people in the week to Dec 25 – compared with 9.44 per 100,000 at the peak of 2017/18 season, when 30,000 people died .

Those over the age of 85 are most likely to be admitted to hospital because of flu, the figures show.