Five years post Covid-19: five lessons for the future
Hetal Naik, Primary Care Lead, Pfizer UK
Protecting the NHS by prioritising prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases
This content has been paid for, written and placed by Pfizer UK
With the NHS acknowledging that 2025 is on track to be the busiest on record for A&E and ambulance services this winter,1 data shows that both Covid-19 and flu cases continue to strain NHS resources.2 What learnings from the past five years can be applied to boost the UK’s ongoing efforts to reduce the impact of vaccine-preventable diseases?
Remaining vigilant
Since the start of the pandemic, we have gained valuable insights into sustaining collaborative surveillance for Covid-19, guided by the World Health Organization recommendations on monitoring of disease severity, population immunity and spread of emerging variants.3 As SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, staying vigilant to ensure vaccines keep pace with circulating variants is essential to protecting the most vulnerable against severe disease.
Building resilience
While other respiratory viruses tend to be seasonal with predictable surges, Covid-19 is now understood to circulate continuously at generally low levels, with latest UK Health Security Agency data revealing a steady increase in cases since the summer.4 Maintaining supply resilience of vaccines is as important in 2025 as it was in 2020, particularly to protect the supply chain during spring and autumn vaccination campaigns, the latter being critical for creating breathing space ahead of NHS winter pressures.
Rapidly adapting
Given the unpredictable nature of Covid-19, it’s important to consider it a year-round concern rather than solely a ‘winter virus,’ as demonstrated by recent summer surges.5 As public health is transformed in the UK, organisational knowledge and capacity to rapidly adapt to evolving threats must be maintained to ensure vaccine supply can always meet changing demands and that diverse evidence sources can continue to inform onward strategies.
Prioritising education
“Get vaccinated today… it might keep you out of hospital this winter” is the current message for the public on building immunity ahead of December and January when hospitalisations for respiratory viruses typically rise.1 In England, only 53.1 per cent of those eligible had their Spring 2025 Covid-19 vaccination,6 indicating a possible knowledge gap on year-round prevalence. While the barriers to vaccination remain complex, the need for providing clear information for the public is paramount.
Fostering collaboration
Arguably, collaboration – between politicians, policymakers, clinicians and industry – was the defining strength of the Covid-19 vaccination programme during the pandemic. Five years later, the spirit of partnership that allowed the systematic sharing of insights and data, and coordination between health systems, companies and governments remains crucial.
Protecting the most vulnerable
We are calling on MPs and policymakers to continue prioritising the Covid-19 vaccination programme to protect the most vulnerable, ensuring it remains responsive to variant developments and expert guidance. As the programme depends on the timely delivery of large volumes of newly updated vaccines, sourcing from multiple suppliers remains essential to reducing supply risk. Just as in 2020, vaccination is a vital tool to ease pressure on hospitals, sustain NHS workforce capacity, and help reduce waiting lists, especially as Covid-19 circulates year-round, not just seasonally.
References
1. NHS England 2025. NHS kicks off flu and COVID jabs to ‘winter-proof’ vulnerable; https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/10/nhs-kicks-off-flu-and-covid-jabs-to-winter-proof-vulnerable/ Accessed November 2025
2. UK Health Security Agency. National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report: 9 October 2025 (week 41) Updated 9 October 2025; https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-report-9-october-2025-week-41 Accessed November 2025
3. World Health Organization. WHO policy brief: COVID-19 surveillance; https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-policy-brief-covid-19-surveillance Accessed October 2025
4. UK Health Security Agency data dashboard COVID-19 9 October 2025; https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/respiratory-viruses/covid-19 Accessed November 2025
5. Bloomberg School of Public Health. Why COVID Surges in the Summer; https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2024/why-covid-cases-rise-every-summer Accessed November 2025
6. NHS England. COVID-19 vaccinations archive – monthly publications; Spring 2025 Monthly COVID vaccinations 26 June 2025 Accessed November 2025
PP-CVV-GBR-0195 | November 2025
