KILLER FLU HITS BRITAIN
BRITAIN’S flu crisis is expected to get even worse within weeks as a deadly Australian strain of the virus spreads across the country, health officials warned yesterday.
The strain that caused a severe epidemic in Australia, killing six children, has arrived here as the UK struggles with its worst flu outbreak for eight years.
Experts have warned that infections in Britain and Ireland will increase from January to March.
A sharp rise in the number of flu-like illnesses has already been reported by the Health Protection Agency.
Soaring infections have caused havoc at A&E departments in NHS hospitals in the past two weeks as thousands of GPs’ surgeries have been closed over the Christmas holiday period.
The flu season began a month earlier than last year and coincided with widespread outbreaks of the norovirus “winter vomiting bug”.
Now the arrival of the H3N2 Brisbane 10 strain will put further pressure on the health service.Latest figures show that among the over-65s, 45 in every 100,000 people now have flu, up from 18 just a week ago.
Though the 15 to 44 age group are most likely to report cases – with a rate of infections of 80 per 100,000 people – it is older people who are most likely to die from flu.
This year’s outbreak is well on course to be the worst since 1999/2000, when 22,000 people died.
Officially, an outbreak does not become an epidemic until the rate is higher than 200 per 100,000 people.
Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley last night blasted the Government’s broken promises after the last killer outbreak.
He said: “In recent years it has rather complacently assumed winter crises don’t happen any more.
“I know the NHS will respond well – but I regret that ministers have let bed numbers fall.”
Following the 1999/2000 crisis, the Government pledged to increase the number of hospital beds by 7,000. In fact, the number has fallen by 13,000.
Last week Health Secretary Alan Johnson insisted that the increase in sickness was “pressure we can cope with”, but Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, warned last night that problems were stacking up.
He said: “Older age groups are now showing increases.
“They have the most serious consequences, with extra load on the lungs, possible viral pneumonia and the increased risk of a second bacterial infection.
“The NHS is coping remarkably well, although there are desperate problems in the West Midlands.”
Calls to ambulance services there have risen by 30 per cent, compared with last December. Prof Field said: “The outbreak is affecting young adults, many of whom are health service workers.
“On top of norovirus, which is causing ward closures, there is a lot of pressure on the NHS.
“The influenza vaccination programme has been good in some areas but patchy in others. In these areas the NHS will take a big hit.”
John Heyworth, incoming president of the College of Emergency Medicine, said most people with symptoms would be fine within two or three days.
But he stressed: “The bottom line is that if people can’t access care in the community and need to see someone, they should come to A&E because we don’t want bad things to happen.
“If there is any doubt, we are happy to help.”
The Health Protection Agency said the current flu vaccine protects against the Australian strain. And a Department of Health spokesman urged those in “at risk” groups not to delay in getting their free jabs.
Vulnerable groups include the elderly, stroke victims, heart patients, those with diabetes or asthma, people with high blood pressure, or suffering kidney failure or liver disease, and anyone taking immunosuppressive drugs.
The spokesman said: “If you are over 65 or in one of the ‘at risk’ groups and have not had the jab, contact your surgery to check if they still have supplies and make an appointment. It is not too late, even after Christmas.”
Anyone over 65 is entitled to the flu vaccine on the NHS, and around 70 per cent have taken it up.
Others only get the jab free if they are deemed at risk.
Other European countries in the grip of a H3N2 Brisbane 10 outbreak include Spain and Bulgaria.
BRITAIN’S flu crisis is expected to get even worse within weeks as a deadly Australian strain of the virus spreads across the country, health officials warned yesterday.
The strain that caused a severe epidemic in Australia, killing six children, has arrived here as the UK struggles with its worst flu outbreak for eight years.
Experts have warned that infections in Britain and Ireland will increase from January to March.
A sharp rise in the number of flu-like illnesses has already been reported by the Health Protection Agency.
Soaring infections have caused havoc at A&E departments in NHS hospitals in the past two weeks as thousands of GPs’ surgeries have been closed over the Christmas holiday period.
The flu season began a month earlier than last year and coincided with widespread outbreaks of the norovirus “winter vomiting bug”.
Now the arrival of the H3N2 Brisbane 10 strain will put further pressure on the health service.Latest figures show that among the over-65s, 45 in every 100,000 people now have flu, up from 18 just a week ago.
Though the 15 to 44 age group are most likely to report cases – with a rate of infections of 80 per 100,000 people – it is older people who are most likely to die from flu.
This year’s outbreak is well on course to be the worst since 1999/2000, when 22,000 people died.
Officially, an outbreak does not become an epidemic until the rate is higher than 200 per 100,000 people.
Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley last night blasted the Government’s broken promises after the last killer outbreak.
He said: “In recent years it has rather complacently assumed winter crises don’t happen any more.
“I know the NHS will respond well – but I regret that ministers have let bed numbers fall.”
Following the 1999/2000 crisis, the Government pledged to increase the number of hospital beds by 7,000. In fact, the number has fallen by 13,000.
Last week Health Secretary Alan Johnson insisted that the increase in sickness was “pressure we can cope with”, but Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, warned last night that problems were stacking up.
He said: “Older age groups are now showing increases.
“They have the most serious consequences, with extra load on the lungs, possible viral pneumonia and the increased risk of a second bacterial infection.
“The NHS is coping remarkably well, although there are desperate problems in the West Midlands.”
Calls to ambulance services there have risen by 30 per cent, compared with last December. Prof Field said: “The outbreak is affecting young adults, many of whom are health service workers.
“On top of norovirus, which is causing ward closures, there is a lot of pressure on the NHS.
“The influenza vaccination programme has been good in some areas but patchy in others. In these areas the NHS will take a big hit.”
John Heyworth, incoming president of the College of Emergency Medicine, said most people with symptoms would be fine within two or three days.
But he stressed: “The bottom line is that if people can’t access care in the community and need to see someone, they should come to A&E because we don’t want bad things to happen.
“If there is any doubt, we are happy to help.”
The Health Protection Agency said the current flu vaccine protects against the Australian strain. And a Department of Health spokesman urged those in “at risk” groups not to delay in getting their free jabs.
Vulnerable groups include the elderly, stroke victims, heart patients, those with diabetes or asthma, people with high blood pressure, or suffering kidney failure or liver disease, and anyone taking immunosuppressive drugs.
The spokesman said: “If you are over 65 or in one of the ‘at risk’ groups and have not had the jab, contact your surgery to check if they still have supplies and make an appointment. It is not too late, even after Christmas.”
Anyone over 65 is entitled to the flu vaccine on the NHS, and around 70 per cent have taken it up.
Others only get the jab free if they are deemed at risk.
Other European countries in the grip of a H3N2 Brisbane 10 outbreak include Spain and Bulgaria.
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