Pregnant and obese 'most at risk' from winter flu outbreak

Pregnant women and the obese will be hit hardest by this winter's flu outbreak and the expected strain is "capable of causing some very nasty illnesses", an expert warned today.

Professor Wendy Barclay said: "Pregnant women are the most vulnerable because of changes in their immune system. They really need to be targeted to get the vaccine." She added that although obese people "are not deemed to be in an at-risk group they need to know they are vulnerable".

The type of virus which caused the majority of deaths last winter as well as the pandemic of 2009 - the H1N1 swine flu - is expected to be the dominant strain again.

Professor Barclay said: "It is still the prevalent virus. It's still circulating in humans, it's still fully fit and is still quite capable of causing some very nasty illnesses." A total of 602 people died from flu last winter while hundreds more ended up in intensive care.

The head of influenza virology at Imperial College added it was vital to improve the "vaccination uptake", particularly among NHS employees to prevent them infecting patients.