The flu vaccine given to millions may be much less effective than expected as a pre-Christmas outbreak sweeps Britain, experts warn.
The NHS reported an unusually early start to the flu season last week with the number of people in hospital with the dangerous virus four times higher than this time last year.
This is despite the fact that more than 15 million eligible Britons have had the latest flu vaccine since September - an above average uptake for the jab which reduces the risk of infection and serious symptoms.
Now, experts are warning that the vaccine - which is updated every year to protect against the latest form of flu - may provide inadequate protection against the version of the virus spreading in the UK.
"Looking at the numbers of people being hospitalised, it's clear the kick-off rate is much steeper this year," says Penny Ward, visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at King's College, London.
A well-matched flu vaccine should provide around 60 to 70 per cent protection from hospitalisation. But data suggests that this year, it was around 30 per cent less effective in countries like Australia and New Zealand where it was first rolled out. This has raised concerns about its effectiveness in Britain.
"It's possible we have a vaccine that is badly matched to the virus strains that are circulating," Prof Ward adds.
In parts of Australia, emergency measures were implemented due to severe outbreaks leading to thousands being hospitalised. A similar situation could trigger an NHS crisis here, affecting routine procedures and causing delays for ambulances and A&E admissions.
"If you are showing symptoms of flu or Covid-19 such as a high temperature, cough, and feeling tired and achy, try to limit your contact with others," advises Dr Alexander Allen from UK Health Security Agency. "Washing your hands regularly can also help reduce spread."
Despite concerns over effectiveness, experts emphasize that even if mismatched, vaccines still offer some protection against severe disease. They remain crucial for vulnerable groups including those over 65 years old or with underlying health conditions who face life-threatening symptoms without vaccination support each winter season when respiratory viruses peak alongside norovirus stomach bug threats creating potential 'quad-demic' scenarios according recent NHS warnings on record bed occupancy rates across England hospitals during early seasonal spikes observed so far this year alone already surpassing previous records set before pandemic era began impacting public healthcare systems globally today once again reminding us all importance maintaining vigilance personal hygiene practices combined timely vaccinations whenever available ensure best possible outcomes community wide efforts combating infectious diseases together moving forward into future unknowns ahead yet fully understood by medical science research ongoing worldwide collaborations continue advance knowledge base shared humanity's collective wellbeing long 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