Huge rise in winter deaths last year blamed on ineffective flu vaccine

151% rise in excess winter deaths in England and Wales represents the biggest yearly increase since records began

There were an estimated 43,900 excess winter deaths in England and Wales in 2014-15, a 15-year high attributed partly to the lack of effectiveness of last year’s flu vaccine.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show that the number of excess winter deaths was 151% higher than in 2013-14, representing the biggest yearly increase since records began.