Flu, measles, mumps and rubella drop in UK

Outbreaks of influenza, measles, mumps and rubella have been almost non-existent in the UK since the COVID-19 outbreak, a batch of scientific data has confirmed.

Out of 685,243 samples tested by Public Health England, not a single case of influenza was detected in the first seven weeks of 2021.

The imposition of social distancing, combined with the prevalence of facial blankets and hand washing, has been known to have blocked the usual routes of influenza transmission. The reduction in international travel and increased use of the flu vaccine has likely also had a major impact.

Vanessa Saliba, influenza manager at Public Health England, said this season’s flu vaccination program is on track to be the most successful ever.

The drop in cases has led some experts to suggest reconsidering the UK approach to the flu. Christina Pagel, professor of operations research at University College London, said The independent: “There have been no influenza seasons in the world this year, including in the UK.

“People say we live with deaths from the flu every year and assume they are inevitable. Yet this is clearly not the case. If we wanted to, we’ve shown that we can reduce the number of flu deaths to almost zero. ”

While the public is clearly reluctant to impose lockdowns to prevent the flu, the numbers may add weight to suggestions that the public wear masks next winter to reduce new outbreaks of COVID-19.

In a separate study published Tuesday by Public Health England, it was revealed that there were no laboratory confirmed measles cases in the UK in the last quarter of 2020. With the last laboratory confirmed case reported in March 2020, measles infections last fell 900%. year – from 798 in 2019 to just 79.

“This sharp drop reflects the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health control measures on the spread and detection of other infections, including measles,” the report said.

He added that a downward trend in measles notifications had been observed around the world.

No lab-confirmed cases of rubella were reported in the UK last year, while mumps cases rose from 5,042 in 2019 to 3,216. Only five lab-confirmed mumps infections were recorded in the UK. United Kingdom between October and December.

Public Health England says the closure of universities and schools for much of the past 12 months has played a role in interrupting the transmission of measles, mumps and rubella.

The study reported a negative consequence: the number of children scheduled for their first dose of MMR vaccine at 12 months of age decreased. Public Health England said it was working on a recovery plan to immunize children who missed their shots, to avoid outbreaks as social distancing measures ease.