As the colder months set in, posters are appearing in GP surgeries and pharmacies urging people to get their flu jab.

Each year, the NHS runs a major campaign encouraging people to protect themselves against seasonal flu and, more recently, Covid-19. For some, these illnesses can cause serious complications and hospitalisation, adding pressure to NHS services already stretched during winter.

In Hampshire, vaccination rates among older adults are ahead of the national average, with more than 65 per cent of over-65s receiving the flu jab. However, uptake among younger children remains lower than hoped. Just under 60 per cent of Hampshire children aged two to three have received their flu vaccine, below the World Health Organization’s 75 per cent target. Children under five have some of the highest hospital admission rates for flu.

From early October, parents have been able to get their two- and three-year-olds vaccinated at community pharmacies — a move that may help improve uptake this year.

Vaccination remains one of modern medicine’s greatest public health successes, saving lives every day and preventing the spread of infectious diseases worldwide. The UK has long been a leader in this field.

Measles, however, is a stark reminder that progress can be undone. Once considered eliminated in England, with no reported cases in 2018, the disease has since returned. By 2021, England lost its ‘measles elimination status’, with outbreaks spreading across the country.

Experts point to several reasons for this rise. Some parents underestimate the severity of measles, having never seen its effects thanks to the vaccine’s past success. The Covid-19 pandemic also disrupted routine appointments, including childhood vaccinations. Persistent misinformation, such as the long-debunked claim linking the MMR vaccine to autism, continues to fuel hesitancy.

In 2024, England recorded 2,911 confirmed measles cases, the highest annual total since 2012, driven largely by outbreaks in Birmingham and London. While numbers have fallen in 2025, more than 770 cases have already been reported this year, affecting every region.

In Hampshire, over 90 per cent of children receive both MMR doses by age five, higher than the national average of 83 per cent, but still below the 95 per cent needed for herd immunity. Uptake in London is especially low, at just under 70 per cent, leaving many school-aged children vulnerable.

A recent drop-in event in Parliament brought together NHS leaders and life sciences experts to discuss improving vaccination rates across the UK. The event focused on boosting flu jab uptake among groups where coverage remains low, including pregnant women, children, and people with long-term health conditions, and highlighted other vital vaccines, such as those given during pregnancy to protect newborns from RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), a leading cause of infant hospital admissions.

Last year, flu alone caused around 8,000 deaths in England. Vaccinations are estimated to have prevented between 96,000 and 120,000 hospital admissions. These are not just statistics — they represent lives saved and hospital beds freed.

Improving vaccine uptake takes coordination and public trust. But the benefits are clear. If you’re invited to book your flu jab this year, don’t delay.