In the recent weeks, thousands more patients went to hospital with flu after cases increased by 50% in a week, This has led to renewed calls for compulsory vaccination for frontline NHS staff.
It is said that General Practitioners (GPs) saw over 20,000 patients who were suffering from the flu and the Royal College of GPs said that cases of flu had “taken off”. Family doctors have urged people to not visit surgeries as there is no treatment for the flu. In the previous week, over 5,000 patients are said to have gone to hospital with flu, which is four times the level in 2017. 48 people have passed away due to the flu in the UK this winter. The H3N2 flu, also known as the Australian or “Aussie” flu, is said to be more severe than the destructive swine flu (H1N1) outburst in 2009.
Medical chief officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies said, “Aussie flu is a misnomer – it's one of the strains of flu that we've seen over the last few years.” She has also urged people to use tissues and wash their hands more thoroughly. She added that she would be happy if flu jabs were made compulsory for NHS staff, and also acknowledged that there evidence to support it was limited, but reiterated that NHS England must consider flu jabs for its staff.
