UKHSA is strongly encouraging eligible individuals from ethnic minority teams, significantly individuals from the Pakistani and black Caribbean ethnic teams and people dwelling in additional disadvantaged areas, to e book their flu and COVID-19 vaccines. It will shield them and their households in opposition to the heightened dangers of those infections throughout winter.

Knowledge from UKHSA‘s report on inequalities in emergency hospital admission charges for influenza and COVID-19 in England, printed yesterday, exhibits that for each COVID-19 and influenza, emergency hospital admission charges had been greater for individuals dwelling in probably the most disadvantaged areas when in comparison with individuals dwelling within the least disadvantaged areas. For influenza, there have been additionally persistent variations in emergency hospital admission charges between ethnic teams.

In winter 2022 to 2023, for influenza, the Pakistani ethnic group had emergency hospital admissions charges which had been on common 2.7 instances greater than the white ethnic group. The black, African, Caribbean, or black British ethnic teams had emergency hospital admission charges for influenza which had been on common 1.6 instances greater than the white ethnic group.

Influenza admission charges had been 2.6 instances greater and COVID-19 admission charges 2.1 instances greater for people dwelling in additional disadvantaged areas in comparison with the least disadvantaged.

This report describes inequalities in emergency hospital admission charges. It doesn’t account for underlying elements that will drive variations between teams, due to this fact, it does not goal to clarify why these inequalities exist. From earlier analysis, we all know that the underlying causes of well being inequalities are complicated, with a number of and overlapping elements. This contains the affect of present social and financial inequalities, protection of healthcare interventions, equivalent to vaccination, and pre-existing well being circumstances.

This evaluation lays the groundwork for additional investigation. There’s a want for nearer examination into the contribution of underlying causes for these dangers over winter. Additional work can be wanted on the supply of interventions, equivalent to vaccination, to alleviate the affect of those infections.

Moreover, this evaluation offers perception for native healthcare techniques, together with Built-in Care Boards (ICBs) and Administrators of Public Well being, to think about the relevance of those nationwide findings on the native degree.

Collectively, these findings underscore the pressing want to enhance vaccine protection throughout ethnic teams and ranges of deprivation to scale back the dangers related to each influenza and COVID-19.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Director of Immunisation at UKHSA stated:

Taking over each the flu and COVID-19 vaccines offers the most effective safety in opposition to the virus this winter.

We proceed to encourage eligible people and teams, particularly these from ethnic minority backgrounds, to get vaccinated in opposition to these preventable illnesses.

For the week ending 26 November 2023, though 75.2% of these aged 65 years and over in England had obtained their flu vaccine, simply over a 3rd of these in medical danger teams; and fewer than a 3rd of pregnant girls had been vaccinated. Over two-thirds of these aged 65 years and over have been vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19 in the course of the autumn marketing campaign.

It is necessary to get vaccinated earlier than flu begins to flow into, so we strongly urge everybody who’s eligible to come back ahead for vaccination as quickly as doable.”

Dr Shona Arora, Director of Well being Fairness and Scientific Governance at UKHSA stated:

The disparities we’ve noticed, with greater hospital admission charges amongst Pakistani and black, African, Caribbean, or black British ethnic teams and people dwelling in additional disadvantaged areas, are regarding.

When you’ve got been invited to take action, please do e book your flu and COVID-19 vaccinations via the NHS web site, the NHS App, or by dialling 119.

Each vaccines actually will help to guard you and your loved ones from critical sickness.”

Dr Salman Waqar, GP and President of the British Islamic Medical Affiliation, stated:

Our religion encourages us to think about the implications of our actions on the individuals round us. That’s the reason we encourage eligible Muslim youngsters, weak adults, and people over the age of 65 to not delay their resolution to get vaccinated without cost in opposition to COVID-19 and seasonal flu. Please take up this provide to scale back your probabilities of hospitalisation this winter.

We all know many individuals in our neighborhood have non secular issues concerning the porcine content material of the youngsters’s nasal flu spray, however they need to know that the flu injection for each youngsters and adults is freed from this and could be requested.”

Vaccination is a key preventative intervention for flu and COVID-19. Beforehand printed UKHSA vaccine uptake knowledge exhibits disparities in influenza and COVID-19 vaccine protection. Amongst people aged 65 years and over, solely 55% of the Pakistani ethnic group and 49% of the black Caribbean ethnic group obtained the influenza vaccine in winter 2022 to 2023, in comparison with 84% of the white British group.

Each the flu and COVID-19 vaccines could be given on the similar time. To make sure the best degree of safety, you will need to obtain each vaccines as quickly as doable to be protected via winter. This implies you’re protected when infections flow into extra extensively.

You’ll be able to e book your COVID-19 and flu vaccination appointment on-line, by downloading the NHS app or by calling 119 in case you can’t get on-line. You can too e book your flu vaccine by discovering a neighborhood pharmacy or via your GP follow.

With sturdy UK and international research supporting the excellent security profile and benefits of each COVID-19 and flu vaccines, ethnic minority teams shouldn’t delay.