RSV and flu hospital admission rates rise in England as Covid admissions fall
UKHSA figures for the half-term week show flu still at low levels but above baseline, RSV rising among young children, and flu vaccine uptake among over-65s slightly behind last year.
By Daily Oracles News Team2 min read
More people were admitted to hospital in England with flu and with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the week from 26 October to 1 November, the half-term week for many schools, while Covid-19 admissions continued to fall. The figures come from the UK Health Security Agency's weekly surveillance report, published on Thursday.
The overall flu admission rate rose to 2.83 per 100,000 people, from 2.51 the previous week. For RSV it went up to 0.80 per 100,000 from 0.57. Covid-19 moved the other way, with admissions down to 2.23 per 100,000 from 2.58.
Positivity, GP visits and A&E
UKHSA describes flu as circulating at low levels, with mixed signals across its indicators. Laboratory positivity for flu rose to 7.6% from 6.8%, and emergency department attendances for flu-like illness were slightly higher and above what would normally be expected for the time of year. GP consultations for flu-like illness fell slightly, to 6.2 per 100,000 registered patients in participating practices. The agency has sent a briefing note telling the NHS that flu activity is now above baseline levels.
RSV, which UKHSA said was rising particularly among children under five, is still at baseline. Its laboratory positivity rate rose from 1.6% to 2.9% in a week.
Covid-19 is also at low levels, and admissions to intensive care or high dependency units with the virus were 0.05 per 100,000.
After half-term
UKHSA said flu cases had stayed low over the half-term break, which it described as a firebreak, with a small rise in hospital admissions. It expects flu and RSV to increase in the coming weeks now schools have returned.
Vaccine uptake so far
Flu vaccine uptake is slightly behind the same point last season in most groups. Among people aged 65 and over it was 59.1%, against 61.5% a year earlier. For those aged 6 months to under 65 in clinical risk groups it was 27.9%, against 28.9%, and for children aged 2 and 3 it was 33.3% and 33.1%, against 34.2% and 34.3%. Uptake among pregnant women was higher than last year, at 31.1% compared with 29.7%.
For Covid-19, 47.7% of people aged 75 and over had received an autumn 2026 dose by the end of the week, as had 20.5% of people under 75 with a weakened immune system.
UKHSA urged anyone eligible for a free NHS vaccine to take it up.
