**Worry Over Falling Flu Vaccination Rates Among Welsh Health and Social Care Workers**
Concerns are mounting in Wales as data reveals a steady drop in the number of health and social care professionals opting for the annual flu vaccine. Although these vaccinations are strongly recommended for frontline staff, they remain voluntary—prompting questions about what is driving the reluctance and how it might affect both public health and workforce stability.
The most recent figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, show a notable decrease in vaccine uptake across two major Welsh health boards. Swansea Bay University Health Board, for instance, reported a vaccination rate of just under 33% among its staff for the 2024-25 flu season—a steep decline from 54% and 43% seen in each of the two previous years. Hywel Dda University Health Board did, however, see a slight increase, with nearly 38% of its staff receiving the jab, marking a 6% rise from the prior year.
The disparity in uptake between different staff groups is also striking. At Swansea Bay, fewer than 35% of nurses and midwives were immunised, which is slightly higher than the medical and dental teams at the same trust. Scientific and technical staff fared better, with just over 41% receiving the flu shot. Hywel Dda posted similar patterns, noting the highest uptake among medical and dental professionals and lower rates among nursing and technical staff.
Both health boards have advocated for increased immunisation by offering convenient options such as drop-in and out-of-hours clinics. However, despite these efforts, there still appears to be a link—albeit a complex one—between low vaccination rates and increased staff absences attributed to illness. According to Hywel Dda, “the staff group with the highest sickness absence did have the lowest flu vaccine uptake and the staff with the highest flu vaccine uptake had the lowest sickness absence” during the recent winter season. Nonetheless, the board cautioned that sickness absences related to flu were often recorded alongside other respiratory illnesses, complicating analysis.
Swansea Bay’s response to the issue highlighted the challenge of directly correlating poor vaccine uptake with staff shortages. Still, officials stressed that lower rates of immunisation could elevate the risk of flu transmission among both staff and vulnerable patients, as well as exert additional strain on service delivery—especially during the busy winter months.
Commenting on the matter, Chris Johnson, head of the vaccine preventable disease programme at Public Health Wales, described the downward trend in take-up since its peak in 2020-21 as “a concern.” Johnson pointed out that vaccination remains a crucial tool to reduce risk for those under the care of health and social workers—and to ensure the resilience of health services more broadly. He also emphasised that the effectiveness of the flu vaccine varies from year to year and within different population groups, typically ranging between 40% and 70% in preventing hospital admissions during a standard flu season.
Trade unions have weighed in, offering their perspectives on the ongoing debate. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) reiterated its support for vaccination as an important part of workplace risk assessments, but clearly stated that participation must be voluntary. Nicky Hughes, the union’s associate director of nursing, acknowledged that staff might have personal reasons for declining the jab—or may simply be experiencing “vaccine fatigue.” She also noted the significant pressures that healthcare professionals face, observing: “Nurses and healthcare support workers often don’t get the opportunity to take a break during their shifts. NHS organisations need to ensure easy access to vaccines, providing them as close to the working environment as possible, and to allow dedicated time for staff to attend vaccination clinics.”
Meanwhile, the British Medical Association confirmed that it has not campaigned on flu immunisation since efforts ramped up in 2020, following the emergence of COVID-19.
For its part, the Welsh Government continues to champion vaccination, calling it a safe, effective, and free means of protecting staff, their families, and patients. As one government spokesperson put it, “We encourage NHS staff to take up the flu vaccine offer. It is the best way to safeguard your own health, along with your loved ones, and protect the patients in your care.”
As Wales faces another winter, the issue of flu vaccination among health and social care staff is likely to remain in the spotlight—highlighting not only individual choices, but also broader questions about public health, workplace safety, and how best to support the professionals who keep the nation’s health services running.