Additional walk-in NHS flu clinics are being organised to help protect people against the flu.
NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly said clinics would be available between 15 and 18 December, after NHS England said an average of 2,660 patients per day were in a hospital bed with flu last week – the highest ever for this time of year and up 55% up on last week.
Dr David Strain, associate professor the University of Exeter medical school, said the variant of the H3N2 influenza had arrived about two weeks earlier than in previous years, and added: “We are very used to dealing with that here in the South West given our population”.
He said there was “no evidence” that it was making people sicker.