Flu jabs axed for over-50s 'fuelling NHS winter crisis', experts warn

Latest data shows more than 5,000 hospital beds are now occupied by flu patients, with cases quadrupling in the past month.

During the pandemic, those aged 50-64 received free flu vaccinations alongside Covid jabs, but this policy changed in autumn 2023.

The rollout is now restricted to over-65s, younger people with health conditions and children.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advised the change, saying it was "uncertain" whether vaccinating healthy people aged 50 to 64 was cost-effective.

The committee classified this group as "low-risk" for hospital admission with flu - but Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, called the vaccination policy decisions "reckless and irresponsible".

"We have got a very large cohort which has not been vaccinated," she said, and warned that while some may seek private vaccines, large numbers of people in their 50s and 60s remain unprotected.

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The later start to this year's rollout has also meant many people only became aware of the vaccine programme much later, she added.

More than a dozen hospitals have declared critical incidents amid mounting winter pressures, with some patients facing waits of up to two days in overcrowded A&E departments.

Hospitals in Northamptonshire, Cornwall, Liverpool, Hampshire, Birmingham and Plymouth are among those declaring critical incidents.

Several hospitals have asked patients to attend A&E alone where possible due to lack of space, while York and Scarborough hospitals reported their A&E departments were "exceptionally busy" and overcrowded.

And one of Britain's most senior doctors has warned the peak of flu season is yet to come, with hospital wards "full to bursting".

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said patients are being treated in corridors and "environments not usually used for clinical care".

He predicted the flu season would likely peak "in the next one to two weeks", with school returns and cold weather adding to pressures.

An NHS England spokesman defended the vaccination programme, saying it follows clinical advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, and highlighted that NHS staff delivered 150,000 more flu jabs by mid-December 2024 compared to the previous year.

"NHS staff will continue delivering vaccinations so please contact your GP or pharmacy to book an appointment if you're eligible," the spokesman added.