Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty has urged the country not to let its guard down as it moves forward from the Covid pandemic.
TPV reports: In his 2025 annual report released last week, Whitty warns that the UK must be ready for future infectious threats and should not become complacent.
He wrote: “One of the greatest threats to effective actions that reduce the predictable, serious and evolving risk multiple infections cause is complacency”.
He added: “The great majority of deaths from infections are now in older adults. Infections can also cause strokes, heart attacks and reduce quality of life and independence in older people. We need to be much more systematic about preventing infections in older adults as we have done in children and young adults.”
He urged older people to enhance their own protection against infections through measures such as hand washing, careful food preparation, avoiding contact with sick individuals, and accepting all offered vaccinations.
At the same time, the UK Health Security Agency has also issued an alert as flu cases and hospitalizations spike, with the NHS warning of an “unprecedented flu wave” this winter.
So the experts want you to roll your sleeves up, especially to help protect the older members of your family over the festive season.
Haven’t we heard something like this before?
Essex Live reports: Sir Chris Whitty is urging the public to exercise greater caution in preventing routine infections which can have catastrophic consequences for elderly individuals. The Chief Medical Officer, who rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, informed a media briefing that beyond causing thousands of winter fatalities, the subsequent effects of a serious infection can be devastating, leaving some patients weakened and confined to their homes.
The Chief Medical Officer’s annual report examining public health across England highlighted how commonplace infections can heighten older people’s susceptibility to heart attacks, strokes and potentially even dementia development.
Sir Chris has also urged older adults to take proactive measures to shield themselves from infections such as colds, flu, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
The warnings come as two of the nation’s so called medical experts have also emphasized how the next two weeks will be critical to avoiding illness over Christmas. They say protection from vaccination requires several weeks to develop following the injection. Getting your flu, Covid-19 and RSV vaccines now ensures peak immunity levels during the Christmas period.
Dr Thomas Waite, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, explained: “There’s quite a bit of pressure from infection on the NHS but that again underscores the reason why, particularly now it is early December, this is the absolute best time to go out and get vaccinated, if you are eligible or your employer offers one.”
He added: “By Christmas you will be well protected and it will much reduce that risk of taking infection to elderly relatives who you may be visiting around that time.”
Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England’s Medical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care, urged: “With just a couple of weeks left to ensure maximum immunity from flu for Christmas day, I urge anyone eligible to come forward to get their jab.”