Over 14,500 deaths were associated with influenza in England throughout the 2022/23 season, representing the highest death toll since 2017/18, according to recent figures.
In addition, extreme cold weather is likely linked to a further 5,500 deaths, the greatest number in the past ten years. Last winter was particularly challenging for healthcare services, grappling with a fresh wave of Covid-19 cases, the first significant flu wave since the pandemic started, and a period of extreme cold.
Experts suggest the flu's impact was magnified due to "lower population immunity", given the negligible flu circulation during the previous two winters under Covid control measures.
Nonetheless, flu vaccines reportedly "helped prevent a much worse winter." The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) estimates that 14,623 flu-related deaths occurred during the 2022/23 season in England.
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