Nov 30, 2018

Excess winter deaths highest since 1970s, says ONS

There were around 50,100 excess winter deaths in England and Wales in 2017-18 - the highest since the winter of 1975-76, figures from the Office for National Statistics show. The increase is thought to be down to the flu, the ineffectiveness of the flu vaccine in older people and spells of very cold weather last winter. Most excess deaths occurred in women and the over-85s. Similar peaks in excess deaths have been seen in previous years. Before the 2017-18 peak in excess winter deaths, there were peaks in 2014-15 and 1999-2000. An extra 6,000 deaths are estimated to have occurred during last winter compared with three years ago.

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