Epidemiology of COVID-19 in England, January to June 2025
Updated 16 October 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/epidemiology-of-covid-19-in-england/epidemiology-of-covid-19-in-england-january-to-june-2025
Executive summary
This report summarises trends in COVID-19 epidemiology in England from January to June 2025.
The key recent COVID-19 epidemiological trends between dates 30 December and 29 June are as follows:
Cases and positivity saw 2 small peaks between 30 December and 29 June 2025, with a peak of 1,331 weekly cases and 5.8% positivity in April and a peak of 1,365 weekly cases and 7.1% positivity in June. Following this, COVID-19 incidence remained at low levels until the end of the study period.
Hospital outcome rates, including A&E attendances, hospital admissions and severe hospital admissions followed the trends in cases during the time period, with peaks in April and June 2025. A&E attendances peaked with weekly rates of 4.43 and 4.1 attendances per 1,000,000 population in April and June, respectively. Similarly, hospital attendances peaked at 8.4 and 9.56 admissions per 1,000,000 respectively. Weekly rates of severe hospital admissions were below 1 admission per 1,000,000 during the time period.
Weekly COVID-19 mortality rates peaked in April and June 2025, with rates ranging between 0.79 and 1.84 per 1,000,000.
By the end of the COVID-19 spring 2025 vaccination campaign, 58.1% of all people aged 75 to 79, 61.8% of all people aged 80 and over, and 24.5% of all people aged under 65 years and in a clinical risk group, who are resident in England had been vaccinated with a spring 2025 booster dose since 1 April 2025.
Incremental effectiveness of the spring 2025 vaccines against hospitalisation was highest in the period 5 to 9 weeks post-vaccination at 55.3%.
Subsequent reports will be published approximately every 6 months to describe COVID-19 activity in line with the current COVID-19 immunisation programme.
Supplementary spreadsheet
Data underlying the charts in this report is available to download in the supplementary data spreadsheet.
Introduction
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), continues to circulate among the population in England and can be associated with severe health outcomes (1). Since its emergence in 2020, trends in COVID-19 activity have changed in relation to the national vaccination programme and other public health interventions. In addition, population level immunity from infection and the evolving lineage profile of the virus have been associated with varying disease severity (2 to 7). Adaptations to testing and surveillance systems have also impacted COVID-19 data trends since its emergence.
This series of reports provides descriptive analyses and summarises trends in COVID-19 epidemiology in England, with a primary focus on the most recent epidemiological trends. Reports will be published approximately every 6 months and will describe COVID-19 activity in line with the current COVID-19 vaccination campaign schedules.
Case epidemiology
Laboratory and case surveillance
The Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS) captures test result information for notifiable causative agents, including COVID-19, from laboratories in England. These data are used to identify COVID-19 cases in hospital settings in England. Address information from these data is then used to classify residential property type for each case, providing information on particular risk groups such as care home residents and prisoners.
The unified sample dataset (USD) contains all SARS-CoV-2 test results reported to UKHSA and is used in this report to calculate the percentage of tests that are positive for SARS-CoV-2 among all SARS-CoV-2 tests.
The section provides COVID-19 case epidemiology and SARS-CoV-2 test positivity from January to June 2025. All stratified rates are age standardised.
COVID-19 cases saw 2 peaks over the first half of 2025. Cases numbers maintained a steady rate until March, experienced a small peak in April then after an initial decline increased again through May. The higher of the 2 peaks in case numbers occurred in June at around 1,365 weekly cases. Positivity saw an overall increase over the study period, having a small peak in April (5.8%) and a larger peak in June (7.1%), and then decreased.
COVID-19 cases across residential property types followed largely the same trends as overall COVID-19 cases. The vast majority of cases were resident in private residential dwellings, peaking at 1,189 cases per week. Of the non-private dwelling settings, the highest number of cases was observed in care and nursing home settings, reaching around 89 and 69 cases in the April and June peaks, respectively. Over this time period, 24.7% of cases were unable to be assigned a property type, due to incomplete or missing residential address information.
During this period, overall COVID-19 case rates and positivity were highest among those aged 85 and over (462.5 per 100,000 and 5.9% respectively), followed by 75 to 84 (186.5 per 100,000 and 5% respectively). Within the younger age groups, overall case rates were highest among those aged under 4 (79.9 per 100,000). Notably, overall positivity was higher among those aged 15 to 44 (2.9%) compared to those aged under 4 (2.6%) despite lower case rates among this age group (15.2 per 100,000).
Cases rates and positivity were equal among males and females (47.1 per 100,000 and 3.9% respectively) in the 6-month period.
Case rates were concentrated between 37 and 69.5 per 100,000 among all regions, with North East having the highest case rates. Over the study period the highest case positivity was observed among those resident in the East of England, with an average of 4.7%.
The highest case rates were observed among those within the Black or Black British ethnic group at 76.8 per 100,000. The lowest rates were among those in the White (42.9 per 100,000) and Asian or Asian British (51.7 per 100,000) ethnic groups.
By IMD quintile, highest rates were among those in the most deprived quintile (quintile 1) at 83.5 per 100,000. The rates decreased with decreasing deprivation level, with the lowest rates among the least deprived group at 43.7 per 100,000 (quintile 5).
Figure 1. Weekly COVID-19 cases, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figure 2. COVID-19 test positivity, 7-day moving average, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figure 3. COVID-19 cases by property type, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Data underlying these charts is available in the supplementary spreadsheet.
There were 1,389 COVID-19 cases with an undetermined property type across both pillars. These undetermined cases make up 5% of the total cases across all property types with specimen dates from 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025.
Laboratory and case surveillance (January 2025 to June 2025) stratified by demographic
Figure 4A. COVID-19 case rates per 100,000 by age group, 7-day moving average (30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025)
Figure 4B. Age-standardised COVID-19 case rates per 100,000 by sex, 7-day moving average (30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025)
Figure 4C. Age-standardised COVID-19 case rates per 100,000 by region, 7-day moving average (30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025)
Figure 4D. Age-standardised COVID-19 case rates per 100,000 by ethnicity group, 7-day moving average (30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025)
Figure 4E. Age-standardised COVID-19 case rates per 100,000 by index of multiple deprivation (IMD), 7-day moving average (30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025)
Figure 5A. COVID-19 test positivity by age group, 7-day moving average (30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025)
Figure 5B. COVID-19 test positivity by sex, 7-day moving average (30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025)
Figure 5C. COVID-19 test positivity by region, 7-day moving average (30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025)
Data underlying these charts is available in the supplementary spreadsheet.
Lineage surveillance
UKHSA conducts genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 lineages. This section provides an overview of circulating lineages in England from January to July 2025, derived from data on sequenced PCR-positive SARS-CoV-2 samples in SGSS.
Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 lineages provides a better understanding of how the virus is evolving, and which lineages may be responsible for changes in COVID-19 incidence, transmission, and severity.
Between January to July 2025, the JN.1.11.1 lineage and its sub-lineages were dominant. Earlier in the year, the XEC recombinant (a hybrid comprised of KS.1.1 and KP.3.3) was the leading lineage, peaking in late January at 48%. Its prevalence declined in the following months, giving way to the parent JN.1.11.1 lineage, which became the most prevalent lineage between February and May 2025, peaking at 52.7% in March. In June, XFG.3 (recombinant of LF.7 and LP.8.1.2) emerged as the most prevalent, covering 31% of all sequenced samples.
Please note that lineages will be grouped independently from their parent lineage once they reach sufficient prevalence, and may be re-grouped into their parent lineage if their prevalence subsequently falls. For routine reporting of genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 lineages, please refer to the weekly national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports.
Figure 6. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 lineages among sequenced SARS-CoV-2 samples, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Grey line represents % of cases sequenced per week.
Data underlying this chart is available in the supplementary spreadsheet.
Hospitalisations and deaths
UKHSA monitors outcomes of COVID-19 using routinely collected national-level hospital admission data and death registration data. Outcomes include accident and emergency (A&E) attendances, hospital admissions, severe hospitalisations (admissions to intensive care units (ICU) and ventilation or oxygen use), and deaths. This section provides a summary of clinical outcomes of COVID-19 from January to June 2025. All stratified rates are age standardised.
Hospitalisations
The overall rates of A&E attendances and hospital admissions during this period were 86.67 and 186.96 per 1,000,000 population, respectively. A&E attendances and hospital admissions for COVID-19 largely followed incidence trends between January and June 2025, with small peaks occurring in April and June. In the April peak, A&E attendances reached a weekly rate of 4.43 attendances per 1,000,000, while a weekly rate of 4.1 was reached in the June peak. Similarly, hospital attendances peaked at a weekly rate of 8.4 admissions per 1,000,000 in April and 9.56 weekly admissions per 1,000,000 in June. The overall rate of severe hospital admissions during this period was 1.66 per 1,000,000. Weekly rates were below 1 admission per 1,000,000 in the same time period.
Infants under 6 months old had the highest average weekly rates of A&E attendance (111.51 per 1,000,000) and hospital admission (228.90 per 1,000,000). This trend was also seen in severe hospital admissions, with infants experiencing an overall rate of 20.12 per 1,000,000. The next highest weekly rates were observed among those aged 80 and over, with 29.08 A&E attendances and 67.48 hospital admissions per 1,000,000, respectively.
Throughout the report period, males consistently had higher rates for all hospital outcomes compared to females. The highest weekly average A&E attendance rate for males was 4.46 per 1,000,000, exceeding the highest female rate of 4.07 per 1,000,000. Males observed a maximum weekly average hospital admissions rate of 9.4 per 1,000,000, whereas females saw a maximum rate of 8.46 per 1,000,000 hospital admissions. Similarly, overall severe hospitalisation rates were greater among males, at 2.16 per 1,000,000, compared to 1.26 per 1,000,000 for females.
A&E attendance rates were highest among those residing in the North East, with quarterly A&E attendance rates peaking in the 16 May to 29 June quarter at 43.99 per 1,000,000.
A&E attendances and hospital admissions increased over time among most ethnic groups. Notably, those in other ethnic groups experienced the highest quarterly peaks, with A&E attendances reaching 68.2 per 1,000,000 and hospital admissions rising to 153.63 per 1,000,000 in the 16 May to 29 June quarter. White ethnic groups showed lower and more stable rates for both A&E and hospital admissions. Data on severe hospitalisations stratified by ethnicity were omitted in this report due to small numbers and risk of deductive disclosure.
For all hospital outcomes, rates were highest among those in the most deprived quintile (quintile 1) with weekly rates peaking at 8.2 and 15.9 (weekly) per 1,000,000 for A&E attendances and hospital admissions respectively, and overall rates of severe hospitalisations peaking at 2.28 per 1,000,000.
Figure 7. Rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 A&E attendance by A&E attendance date, 1 July 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figure 8. Rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 hospital admissions by hospital admission date,01 July 2024 to 29 December 2024
Figure 9. Rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 severe hospital admissions by hospital admission date, 1 July 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figure 10A. Rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 A&E attendance by A&E attendance date stratified by age, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Data extracted on 25 September 2025. Grey lines represent total data for all age groups included in this plot.
Figure 10B. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 A&E attendance by A&E attendance date stratified by sex, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Data underlying these charts is available in the supplementary spreadsheet.
Table 1. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 A&E attendance stratified by region, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with less than 10 cases. Data extracted on 29 September 2025.
| Region | 30 December 2024 to 13 February 2025 | 14 February 2025 to 30 March 2025 | 31 March 2025 to 15 May 2025 | 16 May 2025 to 29 June 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 32.33 (27.58 to 37.66) |
28.01 (23.59 to 33.03) |
24.72 (20.59 to 29.44) |
20.46 (16.69 to 24.82) |
| East of England | 8.87 (6.81 to 11.35) |
6.95 (5.14 to 9.19) |
8.21 (6.25 to 10.59) |
10.48 (8.22 to 13.16) |
| London | 11.82 (9.38 to 14.69) |
18.03 (14.98 to 21.50) |
32.45 (28.35 to 36.95) |
35.97 (31.71 to 40.63) |
| North East | 35.05 (28.48 to 42.69) |
26.10 (20.45 to 32.84) |
36.96 (30.18 to 44.79) |
43.99 (36.55 to 52.51) |
| North West | 23.45 (20.14 to 27.16) |
19.58 (16.56 to 22.99) |
26.96 (23.38 to 30.93) |
24.79 (21.38 to 28.59) |
| South East | 14.63 (12.33 to 17.24) |
16.09 (13.66 to 18.83) |
16.46 (13.99 to 19.24) |
12.62 (10.47 to 15.09) |
| South West | 21.51 (18.03 to 25.47) |
14.32 (11.47 to 17.66) |
20.90 (17.48 to 24.78) |
18.27 (15.01 to 22.03) |
| West Midlands | 24.41 (20.64 to 28.66) |
26.32 (22.43 to 30.70) |
32.20 (27.89 to 36.99) |
28.35 (24.30 to 32.89) |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 26.52 (22.43 to 31.14) |
22.85 (19.06 to 27.18) |
26.59 (22.49 to 31.22) |
23.40 (19.56 to 27.77) |
Table 2. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 A&E attendance stratified by ethnicity, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with less than 10 cases. Data extracted on 29 September 2025.
| Ethnic group | 30 December 2024 to 13 February 2025 | 14 February 2025 to 30 March 2025 | 31 March 2025 to 15 May 2025 | 16 May 2025 to 29 June 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian or Asian British | 14.87 (10.61 to 20.03) |
18.06 (13.21 to 23.85) |
33.59 (27.02 to 41.06) |
39.89 (32.77 to 47.88) |
| Black or Black British | 10.76 (6.10 to 17.13) |
22.37 (14.34 to 32.67) |
38.48 (27.71 to 51.43) |
28.65 (21.06 to 37.78) |
| Mixed | 23.90 (6.82 to 49.08) |
17.57 (4.11 to 37.67) |
7.81 (3.62 to 13.83) |
16.42 (5.34 to 31.29) |
| White | 18.76 (17.57 to 20.02) |
16.91 (15.77 to 18.11) |
20.23 (18.99 to 21.53) |
18.04 (16.86 to 19.28) |
| Other ethnic groups | 39.11 (24.24 to 58.32) |
39.18 (22.87 to 61.07) |
52.07 (33.08 to 76.44) |
68.20 (46.91 to 94.38) |
Figure 10C. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 A&E attendance by A&E attendance date stratified by IMD, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Data extracted on 25 September 2025. Grey lines represent total data for all IMD quintiles (1=most deprived) included in this plot.
Figure 11A. Rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 hospital admissions by hospital admission date stratified by age, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Data extracted on 29 September 2025. Grey lines represent total data for all age groups included in this plot.
Figure 11B. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 hospital admissions by hospital admission date stratified by sex, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figure 11C. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 hospital admissions by hospital admission date and stratified by region, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Data extracted on 29 September 2025. Grey lines represent total data for all regions included in this plot.
Data underlying these charts is available in the supplementary spreadsheet.
Table 3. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 hospital admissions stratified by ethnicity, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with less than 10 cases. Data extracted on 29 September 2025.
| Ethnic group | 30 December 2024 to 13 February 2025 | 14 February 2025 to 30 March 2025 | 31 Mach 2025 to 15 May 2025 | 16 May 2025 to 29 June 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian or Asian British | 33.15 (26.35 to 40.94) |
44.46 (36.30 to 53.69) |
69.71 (59.75 to 80.65) |
83.51 (72.68 to 95.29) |
| Black or Black British | 29.32 (20.05 to 40.97) |
55.63 (42.05 to 71.71) |
64.24 (50.08 to 80.67) |
77.27 (61.87 to 94.84) |
| Mixed | 34.27 (13.58 to 62.36) |
34.91 (14.92 to 61.30) |
32.30 (12.77 to 57.86) |
49.26 (26.48 to 77.06) |
| White | 38.59 (36.88 to 40.37) |
35.53 (33.88 to 37.23) |
44.26 (42.42 to 46.16) |
41.04 (39.25 to 42.88) |
| Other ethnic groups | 63.23 (42.25 to 89.88) |
79.00 (54.33 to 109.66) |
91.52 (66.29 to 121.69) |
153.63 (119.39 to 193.27) |
Figure 11D. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 hospital admissions by hospital admission date stratified by IMD, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Data extracted on 29 September 2025. Grey lines represent total data for all IMD quintiles (1=most deprived) included in this plot.
Data underlying this chart is available in the supplementary spreadsheet.
Table 4. Rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 severe hospital admissions stratified by age, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with less than 10 cases. Data extracted on 29 September 2025.
| Age groups | January to June 2025 rate |
|---|---|
| Under 6 months | 20.12 (7.38 to 43.80) |
| 6 months to under 1 year | 3.18 (0.08 to 17.71) |
| 1 to 4 | 0.74 (0.09 to 2.66) |
| 5 to 9 | 0.30 (0.01 to 1.66) |
| 10 to 19 | 0.29 (0.03 to 1.04) |
| 20 to 29 | 0.41 (0.09 to 1.21) |
| 30 to 39 | 0.38 (0.08 to 1.10) |
| 40 to 49 | 0.83 (0.31 to 1.81) |
| 50 to 59 | 1.95 (1.09 to 3.22) |
| 60 to 69 | 2.83 (1.68 to 4.48) |
| 70 to 79 | 4.82 (3.09 to 7.18) |
| 80 and over | 4.79 (2.62 to 8.04) |
Table 5. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 severe hospital admissions stratified by sex, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with less than 10 cases. Data extracted on 29 September 2025.
| Sex | January to June 2025 rate |
|---|---|
| Female | 1.26 (0.88 to 1.73) |
| Male | 2.16 (1.64 to 2.79) |
Table 6. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 severe hospital admissions stratified by region, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. [x] indicates data not available. To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with less than 10 cases. Data extracted on 29 September 2025.
| Region | January to June 2025 rate |
|---|---|
| East Midlands | 2.03 (0.97 to 3.74) |
| East of England | 1.47 (0.70 to 2.70) |
| London | 3.11 (1.89 to 4.80) |
| North East | [x] |
| North West | 1.59 (0.82 to 2.78) |
| South East | 2.95 (1.96 to 4.26) |
| South West | [x] |
| West Midlands | [x] |
Table 7. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 severe hospital admissions by hospital admission date stratified by IMD, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with less than 10 cases. Data extracted on 29 September 2025.
| IMD quintile | January to June 2025 rate |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2.28 (1.39 to 3.53) |
| 2 | 2.15 (1.35 to 3.24) |
| 3 | 1.17 (0.62 to 2.00) |
| 4 | 1.37 (0.78 to 2.22) |
| 5 | 1.69 (1.03 to 2.62) |
Mortality
The overall COVID-19 mortality rate between January and June 2025 was 33.06 per 1,000,000, with the highest weekly rate occurring in January at 1.84 per 1,000,000 and the lowest weekly rate occurring in June at 0.79 per 1,000,000.
Overall mortality rates were highest among those aged 80 and over (432.08 per 1,000,000), followed by those aged 70 to 79 (80.57 per 1,000,000). No increased mortality rate was observed among infants.
Mortality rates were higher among males compared to females throughout the time period. The mortality rate for both groups saw an overall decline over the time period.
When stratified by region, mortality was highest among those residing in London from 30 December 2024 to 13 February, at a quarterly rate of 12.81 per 1,000,000. From 14 February to 30 March, the highest rate was experienced in the South East at 10.1 per 1,000,000. This was followed by the North East at 15.39 per 1,000,000 from 31 March to 15 May, and again in London at a rate of 10.52 per 1,000,000 from 16 May to 29 June.
The highest overall mortality rates were observed among those in the Mixed ethnic group (131.41 per 1,000,000), followed by those in the Other ethnic groups group (65.31 per 1,000,000).
Mortality rates were highest among those in the most deprived quintile (quintile 1) (54.4 per 1,000,000); the rates decreased with decreasing deprivation level for most time periods.
Figure 12A. Rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 deaths by date of death, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Data underlying this chart is available in the supplementary spreadsheet.
Table 8. Rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 deaths stratified by age, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with less than 10 cases. Data extracted on 29 September 2025.
| Age groups | January to June 2025 rate |
|---|---|
| Under 6 months | 3.35 (0.08 to 18.69) |
| 6 months to less than 1 year | 0.00 (0.00 to 11.72) |
| 1 to 4 | 1.11 (0.23 to 3.23) |
| 5 to 9 | 0.00 (0.00 to 1.10) |
| 10 to 19 | 0.14 (0.00 to 0.80) |
| 20 to 29 | 0.14 (0.00 to 0.77) |
| 30 to 39 | 0.38 (0.08 to 1.10) |
| 40 to 49 | 1.52 (0.76 to 2.73) |
| 50 to 59 | 6.91 (5.17 to 9.04) |
| 60 to 69 | 23.77 (20.13 to 27.87) |
| 70 to 79 | 80.57 (72.87 to 88.85) |
| 80 and over | 432.08 (408.57 to 456.58) |
Figure 12B. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 deaths by date of death stratified by sex, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Data underlying this chart is available in the supplementary spreadsheet.
Table 9. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 deaths stratified by region, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with less than 10 cases. Data extracted on 29 September 2025.
| Region | 30 December 2024 to 13 February 2025 | 14 February 2025 to 30 March 2025 | 31 March 2025 to 15 May 2025 | 16 May 2025 to 29 June 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 10.63 (8.01 to 13.84) |
6.79 (4.73 to 9.44) |
8.49 (6.17 to 11.40) |
5.22 (3.44 to 7.60) |
| East of England | 10.22 (8.01 to 12.85) |
9.01 (6.95 to 11.48) |
7.08 (5.27 to 9.32) |
6.23 (4.54 to 8.34) |
| London | 12.81 (10.04 to 16.11) |
9.43 (7.07 to 12.32) |
11.59 (8.97 to 14.73) |
10.52 (8.02 to 13.55) |
| North East | 8.01 (5.07 to 12.02) |
6.28 (3.72 to 9.93) |
15.39 (11.18 to 20.66) |
7.72 (4.84 to 11.69) |
| North West | 10.68 (8.47 to 13.30) |
8.71 (6.72 to 11.10) |
8.57 (6.60 to 10.94) |
6.01 (4.38 to 8.04) |
| South East | 10.48 (8.56 to 12.70) |
10.10 (8.23 to 12.28) |
7.47 (5.88 to 9.37) |
6.85 (5.33 to 8.67) |
| South West | 7.50 (5.63 to 9.79) |
4.06 (2.71 to 5.83) |
5.95 (4.28 to 8.05) |
3.03 (1.87 to 4.64) |
| West Midlands | 10.70 (8.27 to 13.61) |
8.39 (6.26 to 11.00) |
8.79 (6.60 to 11.48) |
6.16 (4.36 to 8.46) |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 5.15 (3.45 to 7.40) |
8.50 (6.26 to 11.27) |
6.38 (4.46 to 8.83) |
6.76 (4.78 to 9.28) |
Table 10. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 deaths stratified by ethnicity, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with less than 10 cases. Data extracted on 29 September 2025.
| Ethnic group | January to June 2025 rate |
|---|---|
| Asian or Asian British | 21.37 (15.36 to 28.89) |
| Black or Black British | 26.12 (16.40 to 39.17) |
| Mixed | 131.41 (84.71 to 194.41) |
| White | 23.63 (22.32 to 25.00) |
| Other ethnic groups | 65.31 (41.47 to 97.47) |
Table 11. Age-standardised rate per 1,000,000 of COVID-19 deaths stratified by IMD, 30 December 2024 to 29 June 2025
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with less than 10 cases. Data extracted on 29 September 2025.
| IMD quintile | January to June 2025 rate |
|---|---|
| 1 | 54.43 (49.12 to 60.15) |
| 2 | 40.64 (36.47 to 45.16) |
| 3 | 38.12 (34.43 to 42.10) |
| 4 | 36.85 (33.37 to 40.59) |
| 5 | 28.94 (25.92 to 32.21) |
Vaccine surveillance
This section contains updates on vaccination coverage and vaccine effectiveness (VE) for the most recent vaccination campaigns.
COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to provide protection against hospitalisation and other severe outcomes throughout the changing disease profile of COVID-19. A primary course of COVID-19 vaccine was initially rolled out to all adults in England from 8 December 2020, followed by a booster dose launched in November 2021. From spring 2022, vaccinations have been offered to groups most vulnerable to severe disease, based on age and clinical risk, through bi-annual programmes occurring each spring and autumn.
UKHSA undertakes routine monitoring of the coverage, effectiveness and impact of vaccines as they are rolled out in the population in order to continually ensure that clinical and public health guidance on the vaccination programme is built upon the best available evidence.
UKHSA works closely with the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), NHS England, and other government, devolved administration, and academic partners to monitor the COVID-19 vaccination programme through the COVID-19 vaccine surveillance strategy (8). While this report does not include information on COVID-19 vaccine safety, as with all vaccines, the safety of COVID-19 vaccines is continuously being monitored by the MHRA. They conclude that overall, the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines outweigh any potential risks (9).
Autumn 2024 and spring 2025 campaigns
The spring 2025 booster programme, which commenced on 1 April 2025, was recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for adults aged 75 and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and those aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed. The products offered were mRNA monovalent Omicron JN.1 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna).
This campaign was preceded by the 2024 autumn booster programme, which commenced 3 October 2024 and was recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for adults aged 65 years and older, residents in care homes for older people, and those aged 6 months or over in a clinical risk group as defined by the COVID-19 Green Book. The products offered were mRNA monovalent Omicron JN.1 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna).
Vaccine coverage
The COVID-19 vaccine uptake surveillance system provides an indication of COVID-19 vaccine coverage across England, stratified by populations of interest. It is used for the assessment of vaccine catch-up campaigns, planning and intervention by both clinicians and policy makers.
Data on the spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination campaign reported below covers any dose administered from 1st April 2025 to 31 June 2025 provided there is at least 20 days from the previous dose. Eligible groups for the campaign are defined in Green Book chapter on COVID-19 (10).
By the end of the campaign, 58.1% of all people aged 75 to 79 years, 61.8% of all people aged 80 and over, and 24.5% of all people aged under 75 years and immunosuppressed, who are living and resident in England had been vaccinated with a spring 2025 booster dose since 1 April 2025.
When stratified by ethnicity, the highest uptake was seen among those in the White ethnic groups at 57% by the end of the campaign. There was lower uptake in minority ethnic groups, particularly the Black/Black British and Pakistani ethnic groups, at 14%.
There is a positive correlation between deprivation index (IMD) and vaccine uptake, with least deprived populations having the highest uptake at 65%, and the most deprived having the lowest uptake at 35%.
Vaccine uptake was highest in the South West of England, with 63% of the population having had a spring 2025 dose. London saw the lowest uptake at 34% by the end of the campaign.
Figure 13A. COVID-19 vaccine coverage for last seasonal vaccine programme 1 April 2025 to 29 June 2025, by age/risk group
Figure 13B. COVID-19 vaccine coverage for last seasonal vaccine programme 1st April 2025 to 29 June 2025, by region
Figure 13C. COVID-19 vaccine coverage for last seasonal vaccine programme 1st April 2025 to 29 June 2025, by ethnicity
Figure 13D. COVID-19 vaccine coverage for last seasonal vaccine programme 1st April 2025 to 29 June 2025, by IMD
Data underlying these charts is available in the supplementary spreadsheet.
Vaccine effectiveness
The data sources and methods section outlines the methodology used for vaccine effectiveness calculations in further detail. For the assessment of spring 2025 and long-term autumn 2024 vaccine effectiveness, data was extracted on 2 September 2025, with hospital admissions up to 3 August 2025.
Long-term spring 2024 vaccine effectiveness has previously been reported to 30 or more weeks (11, 12).
VE of the spring 2025 booster vaccines was estimated against hospitalisation amongst those aged 75 years and older for both vaccine manufacturers from 1 April 2025 against all SARS-CoV-2 lineages in circulation at the time (Table 12 and Figure 14). In this analysis, 86% of the study population received a Moderna JN.1 vaccine, and 14% received a Pfizer-BioNTech JN.1 vaccine.
Incremental effectiveness of the spring 2025 vaccines against hospitalisation was highest in the period 5 to 9 weeks post-vaccination at 55.3%. Further follow-up time is required to assess waning for this vaccine.
Table 12. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the COVID-19 spring 2025 booster against hospitalisation amongst those aged 75 years and older in England
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. Data extracted on 2 September 2025.
| Interval since dose | Controls | Cases | VE |
|---|---|---|---|
| No booster received | 8,969 | 1,055 | |
| 9 to 13 days | 372 | 24 | 44.2 (14.7 to 63.4) |
| 2 to 4 weeks | 1,340 | 81 | 49.4 (35.6 to 60.3) |
| 5 to 9 weeks | 1,656 | 113 | 55.3 (44.4 to 64.1) |
| 10 to 14 weeks | 746 | 82 | 34.8 (14.3 to 50.4) |
Figure 14. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the COVID-19 spring 2025 booster against hospitalisation amongst those aged 75 years and older in England
This image of Table 12 includes a forest plot.
Data underlying this chart is available in the supplementary spreadsheet.
VE of the autumn 2024 booster vaccines amongst those aged 65 years and older from 3 October 2024 was previously reported to 15 weeks or more (11). In this report, we provided updated estimates to assess the long-term effectiveness of the autumn 2024 vaccines (Figure 15). In this analysis, 59% of the study population received a Moderna JN.1 vaccine, and 41% received a Pfizer-BioNTech JN.1 vaccine. Incremental VE peaked at 42.5% 10 to 14 weeks post-vaccination followed by slow waning to 23.1% by 35 weeks or more, though with wide 95% confidence intervals.
Table 13. Long-term vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the COVID-19 autumn 2024 booster against hospitalisation amongst those aged 65 years and older in England
Figures in round brackets indicate 95% confidence intervals. Data extracted on 2 September 2025.
| Interval since dose | Controls | Cases | VE |
|---|---|---|---|
| No booster received | 33,101 | 4,080 | |
| 9 to 13 days | 621 | 101 | 26.1 (7.6 to 40.9) |
| 2 to 4 weeks | 3,006 | 278 | 34.1 (24.2 to 42.7) |
| 5 to 9 weeks | 7,915 | 346 | 36.7 (28.1 to 44.4) |
| 10 to 14 weeks | 8,751 | 270 | 42.5 (33.6 to 50.2) |
| 15 to 19 weeks | 5,330 | 239 | 40.0 (30.1 to 48.6) |
| 20 to 24 weeks | 4,419 | 290 | 32.2 (21.6 to 41.4) |
| 25 to 29 weeks | 2,684 | 238 | 26.4 (13.8 to 37.1) |
| 30 to 34 weeks | 1,192 | 121 | 34.4 (18.9 to 47.0) |
| 35 weeks or more | 556 | 71 | 23.9 (-0.8 to 42.6) |
Figure 15. Long-term vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the COVID-19 autumn 2024 booster against hospitalisation amongst those aged 65 years and older in England
This image of Table 13 includes a forest plot.
Data underlying this chart is available in the supplementary spreadsheet.
Data sources, methods and definitions
Data sources
| Data source | Data source description | Data quality |
|---|---|---|
| Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS) | SGSS stores and manages laboratory test result information for notifiable infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance from diagnostic laboratories in England. SARS-CoV-2 testing data in SGSS includes polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests from hospital settings and PCR and lateral flow device (LFD) tests from community settings up until 1 April 2022. COVID-19 data from SGSS are used to monitor trends in COVID-19 cases and as the basis for other areas of surveillance, such as monitoring SARS-CoV-2 lineage epidemiology and residential property type of cases. SGSS holds disease and demographic characteristics on COVID-19 cases (for example, age, sex, region, ethnicity, date of test). This is derived directly from laboratory reporting processes and linkage to electronic health record data. Data are held at episode-level, as defined in the methods section. | Laboratory data from SGSS is updated daily; however, real-time data is subject to a lag of 2 to 3 days due to collection and reporting requirements. Completeness of SGSS data depends on the completeness of laboratory reporting forms and of linkage with electronic health record data. Missing data or inability to link to electronic health record data can affect the completeness of metrics. |
| Unified Sample Dataset (USD) | The USD is a repository for all SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative PCR and LFD tests, sourced from several surveillance systems including SGSS and sentinel laboratory reporting systems. USD holds disease and demographic characteristics on COVID-19 cases (for example, age, sex, region, date of test). This is derived directly from laboratory reporting processes and linkage to electronic health record data. | Laboratory data from USD is updated weekly; hence, these data are lagged by one week in addition to a lag of 2 to 3 days due to collection and reporting requirements. Completeness of USD data depends on the completeness of laboratory reporting forms and of linkage with electronic health record data. Missing data or inability to link to electronic health record data can affect the completeness of metrics. |
| SARS-CoV-2 sequencing data | SARS-CoV-2 genomic information is included in SGSS. In England, during the pandemic, genomic investigation and lineage assignment was coordinated by the COVID-19 Genomics UK consortium (COG-UK). A sample of eligible SARS-CoV-2 PCR samples underwent genomic investigation via: i) whole genome sequencing (WGS) ii) reflex (genotyping) assays to detect key mutations, and iii) S-gene target status of PCR tests carried out on the TaqPath assay. | Trends in lineage prevalence will be delayed as sequenced data follows a lag of 2 to 3 weeks due to collection, sequencing, and reporting requirements. |
| Immunisation Information System (IIS) | IIS is used to monitor the roll out of selected vaccination programmes, including flu and COVID-19. It is used to assess vaccine coverage and effectiveness, and also supports investigation and analysis of safety concerns, if and when these arise. The IIS collects person records for all individuals issued with an NHS number in England (the IIS population denominator). It was commissioned in 2020 as part of the national influenza and COVID-19 vaccination programmes. The data set also contains information on administered vaccinations across a range of settings. These data contain detailed vaccination records for all individuals who have received at least one dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. IIS holds disease and demographic characteristics on individuals eligible for SARS-CoV-2 vaccination (for example, age, sex, region, ethnicity). This is derived directly from linkage to electronic health record data. IIS also includes clinical risk status data for individuals included in the population denominator. These data are derived from NHS Cohorting as a Service (CaaS) data, an NHS England service, which uses existing individual electronic health records to identify people in clinical risk groups. Risk groups are defined in the COVID-19 Green Book as those with underlying health conditions that may put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease. | Population denominator and vaccine data in the IIS are updated daily with a 24-hour lag. NHS CaaS began provision of person-level clinical risk flag data in autumn 2022. Risk flag data available prior to this date are subject to reduced accuracy. |
| Death registration data | COVID-19 mortality data are obtained from death registrations for England and Wales collated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). ONS provide UKHSA a weekly extract of death registration data for routine processing of mortality statistics and for outcome assessments of specific diseases such as COVID-19. Data are reported at person level and contain information about the death and the deceased individual, including demographic information such as age and sex. Causes of death information is also provided, including underlying and primary cause of death are provided as International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes. | Death registration data is subject to an 11-day lag to account for the time between death and registration of the death. |
| Secondary Uses Services (SUS) and Emergency Care Dataset (ECDS) | Data on A&E attendances and hospital admissions, including admission to intensive care units (ICU), were obtained from the Emergency Care Data Set (ECDS) and Secondary Users Service (SUS) data set respectively. These data sets contain national level data on hospital activity to inform management and planning of NHS services. These data are used in real time to inform severity of disease and disease-associated hospitalisations. These data include demographic information such as age, sex, ethnicity, and region of residence. Standardised codes for procedures, diagnoses and medical conditions are captured for each episode, including information on primary diagnosis, treatment, co-morbidities and complications. | Mandatory reporting of SUS and ECDS data occurs on a monthly and daily basis, respectively. SUS data within the most recent four months are considered provisional to account for lags in reporting and updating the data. Similarly, ECDS data within the last month are considered provisional. |
Methods
Every effort is made to ensure that data quality standards are maintained by conducting regular analysis and data quality assessments.
Definitions
The definitions listed below are regularly reviewed in relation to data availability and quality, epidemiology, and testing of COVID-19 and may be re-evaluated and updated in the future to support optimal reporting.
COVID-19 episode: COVID-19 cases in England are monitored using an episode-based definition to include possible reinfections. Positive test records from SGSS are converted to cases and infection episodes, deduplicating records using the Organism-Patient-Illness Episode (OPIE) principle, whereby episodes constitute a positive organism in a defined time-period. Each COVID-19 infection episode, beginning with the earliest positive test date, is counted separately if there are at least 91 days between positive test results (PCR or LFD test).
Testing pillar: Pillar 1 testing includes those with a clinical need and health and care workers and performed at an NHS laboratory. Pillar 2 testing includes symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals testing in the community, and includes community PCR testing sites, assisted-test or self-testing via lateral flow device (LFD) at schools and workplaces, and home delivery.
Residential property classification: To obtain residential property type information, we enhanced residential address information for all COVID-19 cases through geospatial address matching to obtain a Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) and a Basic Land Property Unit (BLPU) class. UPRN and BLPU indicate the property type of the address, which include private residential dwellings, residential nursing or care homes, long-term care facilities, and prisons, detention centres and secure units.
A&E attendance: COVID-19 A&E attendances were defined as any attendance to A&E up to 14 days after or 1 day before the earliest positive test of a COVID-19 episode with an associated respiratory diagnosis code.
Hospital admissions: COVID-19 hospital admissions were defined as any hospital admission up to 14 days after or 1 day before the earliest positive test of a COVID-19 episode where the admission record was associated with a respiratory ICD-10 diagnosis code, or any hospital admission where the record was associated with a COVID-19 ICD-10 diagnosis code (including those without a record of a positive test).
Please note that not all COVID-19 hospital admissions have a record of A&E attendance:
- some hospital admissions occur directly via GPs or consultants in ambulatory clinics
- A&E attendances and hospital admissions come from 2 different national data sets which do not always align on an individual level and have different requirements regarding confirmation of a COVID-19 diagnosis
Severe hospitalisations: COVID-19 severe hospitalisations were defined as any COVID-19 hospital admission, as above, where the length of stay was 2 or more days, and the main specialty code or treatment function related to intensive care medicine or ventilation use or oxygen use.
Deaths: COVID-19 deaths were defined as deaths of individuals whose death certificate mentioned COVID-19 as one of the causes of death.
Demographic characteristics
Age: age is calculated as the difference, in years, between date of birth and the positive specimen date.
Sex: information on sex is obtained from the test request or registration form. Where missing or incomplete, sex information is enriched by tracing against the Demographic Batch Service.
Ethnicity: information on ethnicity is primarily obtained from self-reported ethnicity at the time of test. Where missing or incomplete, ethnicity information is enriched via linkage to healthcare records. Ethnic categories are based on ONS classifications. PCR test positivity is not presented by ethnicity because ethnicity is not reported for negative tests.
Region: information on residential address is obtained from the test request or registration form. Where missing or incomplete, residential address information is enriched via linkage to healthcare records. Residential postcode is used to derive geographical groupings (LSOA, LTLA, regions etc) through linking to ONS regional classifications.
Index of multiple deprivation (IMD): using residential address (as described above), residential lower super output area (LSOA) of residence is linked to 2019 IMD produced by Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG). IMD classifies these areas into 5 quintiles based on relative disadvantage, with quintile 1 being the most deprived and quintile 5 being the least. IMD is assigned to individuals based on the average level of deprivation for people living in the same postcode as the case and therefore does not necessarily represent the true disadvantage level for that individual. PCR test positivity is not presented by IMD because the reported postcode for negative tests has not been validated.
Metric calculations
SARS-CoV-2 test positivity: Positivity reports on the proportion of individuals who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 among all individuals tested for the respective organisms. Calculations only include tests done through PCR. Positivity is calculated as a 7-day rolling average, with the number of individuals testing positive during the preceding 7 days divided by the number of individuals tested during the preceding 7 days through PCR testing.
Rate calculations: COVID-19 case rates are calculated per 100,000 population and COVID-19 outcome and mortality rates are calculated per 1,000,000 population. Rate calculations use population denominators from mid-year 2021 estimates from ONS for age and sex, mid-year 2020 estimates from ONS for region and IMD, and 2019 estimates for ethnicity.
Rate calculations are age-standardised to adjust for differences in the age structure of populations. The standard used throughout this report is the European Standard Population 2013.
To avoid deductive disclosure, rates were not presented for categories with <10 cases. When stratified by certain demographic groups, the number of cases may be insufficient to calculate reliable case, outcome, or mortality rates on a weekly basis. In these situations, rates were calculated on a quarterly or 6-month basis instead.
Vaccine effectiveness: Spring 2025 vaccine effectiveness was assessed among individuals admitted to hospital with a respiratory illness as their primary diagnosis who also received a COVID-19 test. Odds of testing positive for COVID-19 were calculated for those who received a spring vaccine against those who did not receive a spring vaccine, regardless of previous vaccination history unless vaccinated within the previous 12 weeks. The effectiveness measured is therefore the incremental protection on top of any from previous vaccinations or infections. Individuals with 2 or more spring vaccines and individuals who have received a spring vaccine less than 12 weeks after their previous vaccine were excluded.
Long-term VE for the autumn 2024 campaign was calculated in a similar manner, where the odds of testing positive in hospital for COVID-19 in those who received an autumn vaccine was calculated against those who did not receive an autumn booster, regardless of previous vaccination history. Individuals who have received a spring 2025 vaccine before their test were removed from this analysis.
Estimates were adjusted for clinical risk status, age, sex, week of test, region, IMD quintile, ethnicity, and previous flu vaccination status.
References
1. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports
2. Dabrera G, Allen H, Zaidi A, Flannagan J, Twohig K, Thelwall S and others. ’Assessment of mortality and hospital admissions associated with confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant: a matched cohort and time-to-event analysis, England, October to December 2020’ Euro Surveillance 2022: volume 27, issue 20, page 2100377
3. Twohig KA, Nyberg T, Zaidi A, Thelwall S, Sinnathamby MA, Aliabadi S and others. ’Hospital admission and emergency care attendance risk for SARS-CoV-2 delta (B.1.617.2) compared with alpha (B.1.1.7) variants of concern: a cohort study’ Lancet Infectious Diseases 2022: volume 22, issue 1, pages 35 to 42
4. Nyberg T, Ferguson NM, Nash SG, Webster HH, Flaxman S, Andrews N and others. ’Comparative analysis of the risks of hospitalisation and death associated with SARS-CoV-2 omicron (B.1.1.529) and delta (B.1.617.2) variants in England: a cohort study’ Lancet 2022: volume 399, issue 10,332, pages 1,303 to 1,312
5. Webster HH, Nyberg T, Sinnathamby MA and others. ’Hospitalisation and mortality risk of SARS-COV-2 variant omicron sub-lineage BA.2 compared to BA.1 in England’ Nature Communications 2022: volume 13, issue 6,053
6. Abdul Aziz N, Nash SG, Zaidi A, Nyberg T, Groves N, Hope R and others. ’Risk of severe outcomes among SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 cases compared to BA.2 cases in England’ Journal of Infections 2023: volume 87, issue 1, pages e8 to e11
7. Quinot C, Kirsebom F, Andrews N, Stowe J, Ramsay M, Dabrera G and others. ’Severity of COVID-19 sub-lineages XBB/XBB 1.5/XBB1.16, EG.5.1 and JN.1 in England’ The Lancet Regional Health Europe 2024: volume 43, page 100975
8. UKHSA. ’COVID-19 vaccine surveillance strategy’
9. Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). ’Coronavirus vaccine – summary of Yellow Card reporting
10. UKHSA. ’COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a’
11. UKHSA. ‘Epidemiology of COVID-19 in England: January 2020 to December 2024
12. Abdul Aziz N, Kirsebom FCM, Allen A, Andrews N. ‘Effectiveness of spring 2024 (xbb.1.5) and autumn 2024 (jn.1) COVID-19 vaccination against hospitalisation in England’