Flu cases are now EIGHT TIMES higher than they were at the same point in the UK last winter

The number of patients hospitalised with the flu this winter is eight times higher than it was last year, figures show.  

An early start to the flu season has left 2,092 needing treatment for influenza or flu-like symptoms so far in 2019.

By comparison, there were just 256 hospital admissions at the same point 12 months ago.  

The number of patients rushed into intensive care with life threatening symptoms caused by the virus has also trebled year-on-year.

Government data released today revealed there have been 540 people treated in ICU in 2019, compared to 169 at the same time a year ago.

Tests show up to four fifths of people who have caught influenza already this winter have been struck down by a H3N2 strain.

Samples also show most of those strains this winter are similar to the ‘Kansas’ type, which this year’s jab protects against.

It comes as hundreds of thousands of children remain unprotected against the flu despite officials urging parents to get youngsters vaccinated.

Just one in six (16.7 per cent) children between the ages of four and 11 had a flu vaccine by the end of October, down from 19.7 per cent at the same time last year. 

Spikes in flu are one of the main reasons A&E departments become so crowded in the winter and last week’s figures could be an unwelcome omen for hospitals around the country.   

This year’s sharp rise comes after children’s flu vaccines were hit by delays of up to a month because of a pharmaceutical company’s testing problem.

In September and October, the Government warned schools they would have to reschedule some of their vaccination sessions because of a drug shortage.

Although this was resolved, the average vaccination rate for primary school children was just 16.7 per cent by October 31.

And schools were where the most outbreaks were reported last week – 94 schools in England said they had outbreaks, and 26 of them were confirmed to be flu.

More toddlers than schoolchildren have had the nasal flu spray, but rates are still low – 28.5 per cent of two and three-year-olds were vaccinated by the start of November.

‘Flu season has now started and so it’s really important that people get their flu vaccine as soon as possible to ensure they are protected against this potentially very serious illness,’ said Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, head of flu at Public Health England.

‘The initial evidence suggests the vaccine is a good match for the main strain of flu that is circulating.’ 

As well as schools, dozens of outbreaks have been reported in care homes (49) and hospitals (17).