As we brace ourselves for chillier days and look forward to more indoor gatherings and seasonal social events with friends and family, now is the ideal time to remind ourselves of guidance on vaccination, isolation, good respiratory etiquette, mask wearing, and other behaviours that can reduce the spread of respiratory infections known to peak during the autumn and winter period.
The early start to the current flu season and the emergence of the drifted influenza A(H3N2) strain has caused some concern. Early data from UKHSA rapidly assessed how well this season's flu vaccines are working. This showed the flu vaccines are providing good protection against hospitalisation in children and adults. There are currently no changes to the advice on what to do if you have, or think you may have COVID-19, influenza (flu) or any other respiratory infection.
Vaccines help protect those most vulnerable from developing serious illness and being hospitalized and we strongly encourage all those eligible to get vaccinated against flu as soon as possible - vaccines remain our best defence.
What are the current guidelines for avoiding catching or spreading respiratory illnesses?
Here is a list of simple actions you can take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections, and protect those at highest risk:
- Get vaccinated if you are eligible
- If you are feeling unwell, stay at home
- Let fresh air in if meeting others indoors
- Practise good hygiene:
- cough into your bent elbow, or use a tissue and dispose of it afterwards in the nearest bin
- wash your hands frequently with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds
- clean your surroundings often, especially areas that are touched frequently such as door handles
- Wear a mask:
- when you are coming into close contact with someone at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell from a respiratory infection
- when there are a lot of respiratory viruses circulating, and you will be in close contact with other people in crowded and enclosed spaces
When should I wear a mask?
Along with the other measures set out in the current guidance, face coverings continue to be a useful tool in limiting the spread respiratory viruses in some situations.
As existing guidance states, wearing a well-fitting mask when unwell can reduce the number of particles containing viruses that are released from the mouth and nose of someone who is infected with a respiratory infection.
Face coverings can also protect the person wearing them from becoming infected with other respiratory viruses.
There is further information on when people with symptoms of a respiratory infection should wear a face covering in the guidance for people with symptoms of a respiratory infection.
What should I do if I have symptoms?
If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people, until you no longer have a high temperature (if you had one), or until you no longer feel unwell.
If you need to go out, then avoid close contact with anyone who you know is at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell.
Should I get vaccinated against flu, COVID-19 or RSV?
Flu can be particularly dangerous for certain groups, which is why they are eligible for the vaccination programme. This includes pregnant women, young children, those with certain long-term health conditions, and older adults aged 65 years and over. You can find the full list of those eligible here.
For those who are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19, the NHS also offers a free vaccine in the autumn and winter. See the list of those eligible here.
RSV can be especially dangerous for infants and the elderly. Pregnant women at week 28 or soon after and everyone aged 75 to 79, or who turned 80 after 1 September 2024, can have a vaccine to protect themselves or their babies against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
Should I be vaccinated against flu, whooping cough and RSV during pregnancy?
Being pregnant changes the way your body handles infections and can restrict the depth of your breathing as the baby grows and pushes on your lungs. This can make you more vulnerable to severe complications from flu, such as pneumonia. If you catch flu during pregnancy, it can also cause your baby to be born prematurely or have a low birth weight and, if you get infection near to delivery, you can also pass it to your newborn baby. Babies under 6 months of age have one of the highest hospitalisation rates for flu every season. Vaccinating against flu during your pregnancy means that you will make an immune response (including antibodies) to the vaccine, and these protective antibodies are passed onto your baby through the placenta, helping to protect your baby for the first few months of their life. You can have the flu vaccine at any stage of pregnancy, from conception onwards.
The best way to protect babies against RSV infection is for the mother to have the vaccine during pregnancy. Vaccination reduces the risk of severe RSV lung infection by around 70% in the first 6 months of a baby’s life.
If you’re pregnant, you are also eligible to receive a vaccine against pertussis (whopping cough), to help protect your baby for the first few months of life. This disease can circulate at any time of year, including during the winter months. You'll usually be offered a vaccine called ADACEL that protects against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus.
All vaccines go through a regulatory approval process to ensure they meet strict safety and effectiveness checks. And it's fine to have the jabs at any stage of pregnancy. Millions of women in England have had the flu vaccine during pregnancy since this was introduced in 2011. Flu, whooping cough and RSV vaccines do not contain live virus and cannot infect your unborn baby.
What should I do if my child is unwell?
Current guidelines for parents state that it's fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or common cold. However, children should not be sent to school if they have a temperature of 38°C or above, or if they feel unable to go to school or do their normal activities. See the NHS ‘Is my child too ill for school?’ guidance for further information.
There is wide agreement among health and educational professionals that school attendance is vital to the life chances of children and young people. Being in school regularly improves mental and physical health, wellbeing and socialisation throughout children’s lives.
This year, school-aged children and young people from reception up to year 11 are being offered the flu vaccination nasal spray at their school: parents should look out for the electronic or paper consent form and be sure to return it when asked to do so.
If you have a child aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2025 (born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2023), you can book a flu vaccine at your GP practice. Find out more at the NHS website.
Following this guidance should help you and your family avoid catching a respiratory illness this winter, and if someone close to you is eligible for a vaccine, encourage them to take it up - it will reduce their risk of becoming seriously ill this season.