LONDON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Britain is experiencing an unusually early start to its winter flu season, with a marked rise in cases among children and increasing activity across other age groups, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said Thursday.
The UKHSA's latest weekly winter surveillance bulletin, published for the 2025/2026 season, shows that this year's flu season has started "unusually early", with flu activity is now above baseline and is spreading more widely in the community.
Surveillance data indicate a sharp increase in influenza positivity rates, particularly among children aged 5 to 14, where the hospital positivity rate reached 30.8 percent this week, up from 20 percent the previous week.
Flu hospitalisations have also risen, with the overall admission rate increasing from 1.74 per 100,000 to 2.19 per 100,000 over the past week.
"We're seeing an unusually early start to the flu season this year, with the latest data showing a sharp increase among children but also increases in other age groups, with the virus now starting to spread more widely in the community," said Alex Allen, a consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA.
UKHSA is now urging all eligible groups, including those aged 65 and above, pregnant women, and individuals with certain long-term health conditions, to arrange for their free flu vaccinations as soon as possible. ■
