Flu is back ‘with a vengeance’ this winter, says Humza Yousaf

Illnesses like flu are “back with a bit of a vengeance” in the first winter since Covid restrictions were lifted, the Health Secretary has said.

Humza Yousaf said the higher rate of slips, trips and falls could also put further pressure on the NHS in the coming months.

During a visit to a vaccination centre in Edinburgh, he encouraged frontline health and social care staff to come forward for vaccination as uptake among these groups has been lower than hoped.

He met vaccinator David Speirs at NHS Lothian’s facility in Ocean Terminal on the Thursday which marked the two-year anniversary since Scotland’s first vaccinations began.

Mr Yousaf said: “I want to thank and pay complete tribute to the army of vaccinators, volunteers, those that come out of retirement when their country needed them and that have helped to get those vaccines into people’s arms.”

He said he was working with health boards and the care home sector to try and improve uptake among their frontline staff, who are eligible for Covid boosters and flu jabs.

Uptake among this group is at 44.7%, according to the latest data from Public Health Scotland.

Last year’s year’s booster campaign took place as the Omicron variant was emerging, meaning there was a sense of “urgency” at that point, he said.

Mr Yousaf said people are still dying due to coronavirus, adding: “It’s still a threat, so please do come forward.”

Winter pressures will put further stress on an NHS already under “severe, severe pressure”, he said.

Flu and Covid vaccines are administered at the same time in Scotland.

So far, more than 1.8 million doses of each vaccine have been administered during the current winter campaign.

The Health Secretary said flu cases in Scotland are rising and Strep A cases in Scotland are also expected to rise, though the vast majority of cases are mild.

He said: “There’s a multitude, at this time of year, of respiratory viruses and illnesses that are coming back with a bit of a vengeance because we didn’t have them in the last couple of years given the legal restrictions that were in place at that time.”