PublicHealthMatters 
Planning a holiday abroad? This guide provides essential information to help you travel safely and minimise health risks. Whether you’re planning a beach break, visiting family overseas, or embarking on a backpacking adventure, it’s worth thinking ahead so that you have the best time possible. Before you travel Ensure any underlying health conditions are stable … Read more
Ultraviolet, or UV, radiation, comes to earth from the sun. The ozone layer protects those of us on the ground from most of it, but some does reach the surface. Here’s a quick briefing on UV. How to protect yourself When sunny weather is expected, regularly apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least … Read more
When autumn comes, protection from any earlier COVID-19 vaccination you may have had will be starting to wane. For those who are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19, the NHS offers a free vaccine in the autumn, previously known as the ‘Autumn Booster’. Current vaccines provide good protection against severe disease and hospitalisation. … Read more
Breathing in polluted air affects our health, reduces our life expectancy, and costs our society billions of pounds each year. It is estimated that 2 million healthy life years are lost in Europe due to the impacts of poor air quality, making the need to improve air we breathe in and reduce the pollution we … Read more
Rabies is a rare but deadly viral infection that affects the brain and nervous system. Human cases of rabies are extremely rare in the UK but the infection poses a risk to travellers visiting regions where the disease remains prevalent. It is typically transmitted via the bite or scratch of an infected animal. Dogs are … Read more
As summer arrives, you’re likely to spend more time outdoors with your children. Lots of us love this time of year and it’s great to enjoy the longer days and warmer weather. It’s worth being aware, however, of some common seasonal infections and hazards to help you spot illness more easily and take action if … Read more
During the summer, many of us enjoy the longer days, warmer evenings, and time outdoors. But warmer weather also brings potential risks to health, especially when temperatures climb higher than usual. This year, the Met Office 3-month outlook suggests that the likelihood of a warm summer in the UK is higher than that of a … Read more
Two Petri dishes containing Candidozyma auris (C. auris) Fungi are all around us, but some species pose significant threats to human health. They can spread silently, thrive in hospitals, resist multiple treatments, and survive on surfaces for weeks. That’s Candidozyma auris (C. auris) – formerly known as Candida auris – a fungal pathogen gaining attention from healthcare professionals and … Read more
More than 1 in 10 eligible children under the age of 5 in England haven’t had the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine or are only partially vaccinated. This leaves these children unprotected and increases the risk of measles outbreaks occurring in nurseries and schools. We are reminding parents and guardians to ensure their children are protected … Read more
Aedes vexans mosquito © Anders Lindstrom Vector-borne diseases – illnesses transmitted to humans by organisms such as mosquitoes and ticks – account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases globally, causing over 700,000 deaths annually. They include malaria, West Nile virus, dengue and yellow fever. At UKHSA, our medical entomology teams play a vital role in monitoring and … Read more