|
Dear all,
Please find below your weekly update from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
If you have any questions please get in touch by emailing externalaffairs@ukhsa.gov.uk
As always, you can also follow UKHSA on X, on Instagram, on BlueSky, and on LinkedIn for all the latest updates. You can also find the latest news from UKHSA on our news page on GOV.UK.
Best wishes,
UKHSA External Affairs Team
New stories
- Latest information on the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak
- UKHSA Conference 2026 – sponsorship and exhibition sales open
- From RSPH: call for evidence on access to vaccines
Ongoing issues
- Latest measles case data
- Measles resources for stakeholders
- Measles epidemiology and outbreak response webinar (21 May)
- Request for stakeholder feedback: Childhood immunisations campaign
UKHSA communications toolkits
- Information on how to access UKHSA communications toolkits
UKHSA data, analytics and surveillance
- Statistics at UKHSA
- UKSA data dashboard
- Notification of Infectious Diseases report
UKHSA is continuing to monitor, respond to and provide public health advice regarding an outbreak of hantavirus linked to the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius. The risk to the general public remains very low.
You can find further updates on the public health response:
|
The UKHSA Conference 2026 will take place on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 September at Manchester Central. The conference will bring together partners from across public health, health protection and the wider health security community to share learning, showcase innovation and strengthen collaboration.
Exhibition stands are now available to purchase, offering a fantastic opportunity to showcase your organisation to delegates from across the health security community. Sponsorship packages are also available for organisations looking to raise their profile and support this flagship event. To find out more about exhibition and sponsorship opportunities, check out our Sponsorship and Exhibition Brochure.
For more information, or if you’d like to arrange a call, email us at conference@ukhsa.gov.uk
|
The Royal Society for Public Health bringing together a group of leading UK health experts to understand why vaccine coverage is falling, and the importance of access levels.
They have launched a call for evidence, which is open to everyone. They are looking for real-life stories about accessing vaccines to help us understand how vaccine access can be improved. You can respond as an individual, an institution (e.g., a charity, academic institution, an NHS trust, a Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise) or on behalf of a public or private organisation. RSPH want to hear from as many people as possible.
RSPH Commission on Access to Vaccines – Call for Evidence
Submissions are open until 31 May.
The latest measles case data* (published 30 April) shows that activity has increased since January 2026, mostly driven by outbreaks in North London and Birmingham.
Between 1 January 2026 and 27 April 2026, there have been 477 laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in England, an increase of 35 cases since the 20 April 2026. Measles activity increased from January 2026, with the highest number of cases concentrated in North London and Birmingham.
Measles is a nasty illness for any child, but for some it can lead to serious long term complications and tragically death, but is so easily preventable through vaccination.
Having two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine gives children the vital protection they need against this highly contagious disease. It also helps protect more vulnerable children around them who are too young or unable to have the vaccine due a weakened immune system.
Older children and adults who missed out on their vaccine when they were younger can catch up at any age with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
*Measles case data is currently published fortnightly during April 2026. The next update will be published tomorrow, 14 May 2026.
|
We have a series of resources available to help stakeholders communicate on measles and the vaccines that can prevent it:
- We have a measles communications toolkit on our Google Drive to help support colleagues who are managing outbreaks in their communities. This has been updated this week with further social media assets to help raise awareness of measles, its signs and symptoms, and the MMRV/MMR vaccine. These can be found on p13-14 of the toolkit.
- UKHSA and NHSE stakeholder communications toolkit on the Campaign Resource Centre (CRC): resources to help communicate the MMRV vaccine
|
Measles Epidemiology and Outbreak Response Webinar Thursday 21 May, 1pm - 3pm.
Are you involved in measles outbreak preparedness or response? Join this two hour webinar with health experts, and hosted by NHS England, to share learning from recent outbreaks and strengthen system-wide readiness, with a focus on acute trust settings. The session will cover the epidemiological picture, national immunisation strategy, public health case management, and clinical guidance including Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and occupational health, with real examples and a live Q&A. The webinar is relevant to NHS, UKHSA and public health professionals.
If the event registration isn’t working on your web browser, try accessing it from your mobile phone, or contact NHS England for assistance (details on the web page).
We are seeking feedback from stakeholders who helped promote the childhood immunisations campaign, which was ran by the Department of Health and Social Care, UKHSA and NHS England, in February 2026.
We are also interested in hearing from those who used materials outside of the main campaign, such as the childhood vaccines postcard, the illustrative vaccines creative and the MMRV communications toolkit.
Your feedback is crucial in shaping our future campaign strategies and communications approaches. Please fill out the feedback form by Thursday 11 June 2026. Please share with any other colleagues who might be interested in providing insight.
If you have any questions or would like to get in touch with us directly, please email externalaffairs@ukhsa.gov.uk.
|
The UKHSA External Affairs Team prepares a range of communications toolkits to support stakeholders to communicate health security messaging to your networks.
Our live toolkits cover a range of issues including outbreak response, vaccination programmes, and resources to help mitigate against the health impacts of adverse weather.
These can all be found on our Google Drive. Our vaccine communications toolkits are also available on the Campaign Resource Centre. If you are experiencing any issues accessing the Drive or the CRC, or have any questions on the toolkits please email externalaffairs@ukhsa.gov.uk.
UKHSA collects and publishes statistics, data and analysis related to planning, preventing and responding to external health threats. This includes official statistical publications on COVID-19, immunisation, healthcare associated infections, other infectious diseases, mortality surveillance and sexual and reproductive health. These can be found on our statistics page on GOV.UK.
The UKHSA data dashboard provides a weekly summary of public health data. It has recently been updated to include Invasive Group A Strep, tick surveillance and hepatitis C data. Over time, the data dashboard will be expanded further to present a wider range of data on public health topics in line with the remit of the UKHSA.
The weekly UKHSA NOIDs publication is currently paused (from 3 April 2025) to make changes, including adding the notifiable diseases which became reportable under the Health Protection (Notification) (Amendment) Regulations from 6 April 2025.
Public health action will continue to be taken on notifications as usual. It will not be impacted by the reporting development work.
For reports already published, please be aware that due to changes in how the data is processed and mapped, including local authority codes that have been updated to the latest geographies, it would be inaccurate to compare data since week 27 to historic reports.
The causative agent reports will continue to be published.
You can unsubscribe from this newsletter at any time by managing your subscriber preferences at the link below. if you are experiencing any issues please email externalaffairs@ukhsa.gov.uk and we can delete you from our subscriber list manually.
|
