Flu this week: UKHSA data for England to 18 October 2026

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes its national flu and COVID-19 surveillance report every Thursday. The report published on 22 October 2026 covers the week from 12 to 18 October (week 42). This page summarises the main figures for England.

The headline figures

Measure	Week to 18 Oct	Week before	UKHSA assessment
Flu test positivity (laboratory surveillance)	6.3%	6.2%	Stable, low
Flu hospital admissions per 100,000	1.94	1.81	Slight rise, baseline
Flu intensive care admissions per 100,000	0.08	0.07	Low, baseline
GP consultations for flu-like illness per 100,000	6.5	6.3	Stable, baseline
COVID-19 test positivity in hospital settings	8.9%	8.8%	Stable, low
COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000	2.64	2.48	Slight rise, low
RSV test positivity (laboratory surveillance)	0.9%	0.8%	Stable, baseline
RSV hospital admissions per 100,000	0.33	0.23	Rising, baseline

Source: UKHSA weekly surveillance report, 22 October 2026. The flu admission rate is in UKHSA's baseline impact range, which for this season is below 2.15 per 100,000.

Who is most affected

Flu A positivity was highest among people aged 18 to 24, at 12.0%, down from 16.8% the week before. Flu B positivity was highest among children aged 5 to 11, at 2.4%. Hospital admission rates for flu were highest among people aged 85 and over, at 9.99 per 100,000. RSV positivity was highest among children aged under 5, at 7.8%, up from 4.5%. GP swab results showed COVID-19 positivity rising to 10.4% from 7.1%.

UKHSA's consultant epidemiologist Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal said that the early rise in flu seen in previous weeks has slowed, but that levels over the coming weeks cannot easily be predicted.

Vaccination so far

By 18 October, 44.1% of people aged 65 and over had received this season's flu vaccine, compared with 49.3% at the same point last season. Uptake among people aged 6 months to 64 years in clinical risk groups was 19.9%, against 22.1% last year. Uptake among pregnant women was slightly higher than last year, at 26.0%.

The free NHS flu vaccine is offered to people aged 65 and over (including those who will be 65 by 31 March 2027), people aged 18 to 64 with certain long-term health conditions, pregnant women, care home residents, carers and some other groups. The NHS says it is best to be vaccinated as soon as you can; the last date is 31 March 2027. See the NHS flu vaccine page for the full list and how to book.

Norovirus

UKHSA's weekly norovirus report, which covers two-week periods, shows activity decreasing slightly and within expected levels. There were 161 positive laboratory reports in the two weeks to 18 October, 32.6% below the five-season average for the same weeks. Across the season so far the total of 1,728 reports is 23.4% above the five-season average, largely because of higher activity over the summer. UKHSA reminds people that alcohol hand gels do not kill norovirus and advises staying off work or school until 48 hours after symptoms stop.

Sithi's forecast

Sithi's independent forecast, issued on 24 October from the same UKHSA data, expects flu test positivity in England to rise over the coming weeks, to about 13.5% in the week commencing 9 November, with a wide 80% range of 5.2% to 23.3%. The fitted curve currently places the peak in mid-December, but early-season peak timing is uncertain and will move as more data arrives. The full forecast for each region, with its uncertainty, is on the Sithi home page and is explained on the method page.

What to watch next

UKHSA publishes this report weekly on Thursdays, so the next is expected on 29 October. The figures to watch are flu positivity among young adults and school-age children, where it has been highest, and RSV among under-5s, where it is rising. Regional figures are on the UKHSA data dashboard and on our home page.