Flu cases more than double in one week and hospital admissions surge

Flu cases in Scotland have more than doubled in a week, with hospital admissions rising 70%.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) statistics released on Thursday show laboratory-confirmed influenza cases between November 24 and 30 rose from 845 to 1,759.

Hospital admissions due to influenza increased 70%, from 426 to 724.

The highest case rates were observed in younger age groups, however about 40% of hospital admissions were people aged 65 and over.

PHS said cases have reached medium activity levels, and this has come two weeks earlier than in previous flu seasons.

A number of health boards have increased their flu activity from low and medium to high.

NHS Dumfries & Galloway and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde increased from medium to high activity level, while NHS Shetland and NHS Tayside increased from low to high.

The latest figures show a further jump from the reported 45% increase in flu cases in Scotland in the week ending November 23.

Over that week, laboratory-confirmed cases rose from 555 to 805.

In the week to November 23, PHS reported age groups were affected by flu at levels not previously seen at that time of year.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “Vaccination remains the best protection against flu and I encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward for theirs.

“As part of our free, nationwide programme, most health boards are offering a blend of appointments and drop-in clinics, making access simpler for people with busy lives.

“As part of winter preparation, all health boards launched their winter vaccination programmes in early September and continue to make steady progress.

“The flu vaccine has been heavily promoted by Public Health Scotland, boards and other key partners since September – including the award winning ‘A Wee Scoosh’ child flu campaign, and the new ‘For Some, Flu Hits Harder’ campaign, both of which have been advertised across social media, radio and billboards.

“I have used every available opportunity in my role to promote vaccination and continue to do so.

“As of 30 November, over 1.1 million adult flu vaccines have been delivered – over 87,000 more than this point last winter.

“In addition, more than 439,000 children have had their vaccine, bringing the total number of flu vaccinations delivered this season to over 1.5 million.

“We are taking a range of measures to ensure our health service is as resilient as possible over the next few months £20 million has been allocated for health board initiatives to increase social care capacity and relieve pressure on acute services.”