According to statistics from the National 'Flu and Covid-19 Surveillance Report published by the UK's National Health Service (NHS) on 11 December 2025, overall weekly hospitalisation rates for influenza in England have risen substantially in December and are projected to increase further. The most recent weekly hospitalisation rate, based on data from 1 to 7 December, was reported as 10.05 cases per 100,000 population, compared to 8.09 cases per 100,000 population for the previous week. This is a marked increase compared to the hospitalisation rate reported for 2 to 8 December 2024, which was 6.55 cases per 100,000 population.  

The increase in influenza hospitalisations in England can be attributed to the rise in influenza incidence, with the weekly average influenza positivity rate increasing to 21% during the period of 1 to 7 December 2025, compared to 17% in the previous week. Positivity rates were particularly high in those between the ages of five and 14, who had a positivity rate of 45.9%. This high positivity rate is likely due to close contact between children at school and the fact that children are especially vulnerable to influenza due to their developing immune systems. The 2025 influenza outbreak also began earlier compared to previous years. For example, hospital admissions rate for the week beginning 6 October 2025 was 1.91 cases per 100,000 population compared to 0.60 cases per 100,000 population for the week beginning 7 October 2024.

Most individuals with influenza recover without requiring treatment and only suffer mild symptoms, including fever, cough and muscle/joint pain. However, a minority of cases require hospitalisation and the condition can be life-threatening, causing conditions including pneumonia and sepsis. Those older than 65 are most vulnerable to dying from influenza, and those aged 85 years and older were observed to have the highest hospital admission rates (57.20 cases per 100,000 population). Additionally, pregnant women, children ages six months to five years, and individuals with chronic health conditions are identified as being particularly at risk.

The increase in hospitalisations also coincides with resident doctors’ plans to strike from 17 to 22 December 2025. As a result, doctors have urged the general public to get vaccinated against influenza if they are offered the vaccine, especially if they belong to at-risk groups, to help prevent the further spread of influenza and minimise hospitalisations. GlobalData epidemiologists forecast that in the UK, hospitalised incident cases of seasonal influenza for men and women of all ages will increase from 47,000 cases in 2025 to 50,000 cases in 2032.