What's interesting is the chart on the website. This 2024 flu season is worse than 2023, and 2023 was worse than 2022. If the "immunity debt" theory was right, this wouldn't be happening. Could all the well documented evidence that covid harms your immune system and makes you more susceptible to other diseases possibly be true? 
Hospitals in England are being hit by a "tidal wave" of flu and other winter viruses, NHS bosses say.
Data released by NHS England showed there were an average of nearly 1,900 beds occupied by flu patients last week – up 70% on the week before.
That is more than three times higher than this time last year, with doctors warning that they are struggling to contain the spread of the virus within hospitals as well as seeing more patients being admitted.
Covid, RSV and the vomiting bug Norovirus are also continuing to cause problems.
Thankfully, for now, it looks like we have a few weeks before covid takes off everywhere in the US, and it won't be as dramatic as the last one because the summer surge was pretty large and their haven't been any new significant mutations showing up in a while.... but the UK is probably a preview for what's about to happen in the US. Whooping cough is going nuts at the moment.
JPweiland forcasts covid waves, and has been remarkable accurate so far.
Reminder that masking works especially well against the flu and other less contagious virus. Always mask in places that vulnerable and high risk people can't avoid!
Is the flu shot common in the UK?
I am a burgerlander and here the flu shot is free and everyone is recommended to get it every autumn. But I had a
friend tell me once that flu shots were only recommended for the elderly. Is it true?
The flu is deadly to elderly and people with health conditions so they should definitely get a flu shot.
Regular people should get it too, but some countries think it's no big deal for healthy younger people to get it for some reason so they don't encourage flu shots. It's traditionally been tricky to predict which strain of flu will circulate in different areas so it's effectiveness in pre-covid years could be spotty.
But after covid it's become very clear that serious post-viral complications aren't limited to covid, and we should have always been doing more to stop the spread of flu. On average they estimate that people get the flu every 3-5 years, but the amount of people who don't know the difference between a cold and a flu is quite large. Covid is more like 1-3 times a year.
I've never been tested for the flu in my life but I'm certain I've had it and it was awful every time, and some of the symptoms people report after getting covid I've had for years, and it was likely the result of a flu. But previously I always thought "sometimes bodies just do that, nothing we can do".
Wow that's awful, I'm sorry to hear that. I have had post COVID symptoms for about 6 months now
I've never heard of it from the flu before, makes sense tho. We lack so much medical knowledge it's insane.
Last time I got the flu I shit myself lol I thought that was a pretty big deal!
Kids 11 and under, adults over 65, pregnant women, people with certain illnesses, and carers/healthcare workers get it for free on the NHS here in the UK.
Some people with additional private healthcare plans through work get it that way.
Most people say 18-50 don't get it at all.
only recommended for old folks in ireland because we're a mickey mouse country
Seriously? That's actually ridiculous and pretty against modern public health strategies.
Pretty sure you're mistaken. Looks like it is recommended for children and adults.
https://rcpi.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_932627c6-b0fe-4264-82c6-ce976da6d3b7/
right, I think what I was thinking of is you can only get it for free if you're over 60, under 18, or are high risk for some other reasons. so if you're a healthy adult under 60 you gotta pay lol. love it here.
Yeah if the government recommends it, it should be free. Simple as. Applies to all healthcare.
of course. RCPI are non govt, for what it's worth. not sure what the HSE (health service executive, the govt health body) says. from a cursory look I think I may have been right that they don't recommend everyone get it lol
Lol youre right that's so mickey mouse then.
In the US at least, government policy is usually directly based on recommendations from private/public partnerships involving researchers and clinicians from their respective fields.
Edit: I think I need to clarify that I am aware that these recommendations are not necessarily covered or affordable, and that the government is complicit in this malfeasance. Especially by contracting out 'government' health plans to private entities that have no interest in the welfare of the working class.
yeah, it's just austerity and the overwhelming privatisation of the system at work. the insane debt and stuff isn't quite on the same level in our system, but you pay out of pocket for everything. even if you have insurance it generally won't cover stuff like GP visits (a cool 60 euro every time), dentist, still end up with co-pays for specialists etc.
In Denmark it's only the elderly and other at-risk groups who get it for free. I got mine this year for being fat. Other people have to pay.
The flu shot is only free if you have insurance. Flu shots are recommended for anyone over the age of 6 (i think) as a standard.