Health blogs from the UK Health Security Agency
How GPs help us monitor the spread of flu and the effectiveness of vaccines
GPs and general practice have access to valuable data that is vital to the health of the public. In this blog post we will explore the importance of surveillance data collected in general...
A look back at the UKHSA annual conference for 2023
Our second annual conference, #UKHSA2023 brought together a range of people involved in public health and health protection science for speeches, panel discussions and exhibitions. It was...
The fight against antimicrobial resistance: progress and challenges
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) - when microbes evolve to resist the medicines designed to kill them - is an urgent global threat. In England, resistant infections rose by 4% in 2022 after...
Achieving more equitable outcomes: UKHSA Health Equity for Health Security Strategy
We know that health threats can have a disproportionate impact on different groups. This inequality can be due to differences in living and working conditions, access to and uptake of...
How Weather-Health Alerts differ from the National Severe Weather Warning Service
During both the summer and winter seasons, UKHSA and the Met Office monitor weather forecasts to help health and social care professionals, responders, the voluntary sector and the public...
How flu and COVID vaccinations help protect you and your baby
Flu and COVID-19 can be unpleasant for most people, but if you're pregnant, it's particularly important to get vaccinated to protect both you and your baby. We recommend that all pregnant...
5 reasons to vaccinate your under-5s against flu
Flu season is just around the corner, and now is the time to get protected. If you are a parent of eligible pre-schoolers, make sure that you book your child in with their GP practice for...
Get Winter Strong: why having a flu vaccination matters
Despite the recent hot and sunny weather, winter is coming, and with it comes an increased risk of catching flu. Flu can leave many of us feeling dreadful and laid up in bed for...
Get Winter Strong: revisiting respiratory infection guidance for a safer season
As we brace ourselves for chillier days, more indoor gatherings and seasonal social events with friends and family, now is the ideal time to revisit the current guidance on face coverings,...
Should we be worried about the new COVID-19 variant?
We’ve been receiving a lot of questions about the BA.2.86 COVID variant, as people would like to know how it compares to other variants and what the implications might be for public...
Syphilis: get tested, get treated
“You don’t really hear much about syphilis these days, very much the MySpace of STDs [sexually transmitted diseases]” is a line from Tom Wambsgans, a character in HBO’s hit show...
Using the power of data to build the UK’s health security
Data is now the driving force of the world’s modern economies, fuelling innovation and progress. Data is equally essential to health security, underpinning our ability to prepare for,...