Experts highlighted the news brand’s campaign to boost numbers after 20 million Brits receive their flu jabs
While uptake dipped at Christmas, it surged by close to 200,000 in a week, with the daily average up by a third.
The news comes after the publisher urged readers to get both their flu and Covid jabs, with nearly 20.2 million people in England now jabbed against flu out of an eligible 33 million. The jabs are free for over-50s, people with health issues, pregnant women, health and care workers and most young kids.
Health secretary Steve Barclay said: “I want to thank The Sun’s campaign and its readers for ‘Doing the Double’ by coming forward for their flu and Covid jabs. Now is the time to redouble our efforts, given 5,000 hospital beds are currently taken up by flu patients.”
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said the campaign “encouraged thousands to come forward for their winter vaccinations”.
There is still more work to be done, however: just 34% of pregnant women have received their vaccination, even though the flu jab is proven to be safe and effective.
