This week we updated our all-partner MenB vaccination communications toolkit which now includes a series of assets for social media (1x1s and 4x5s) explaining eligibility for the MenB vaccine to use on your own channels. We also have posters and email signatures available to download. All of these resources are available on the Campaign Resource Centre.

A reminder that the one-off vaccination programme is being offered to:

• Everyone born between 01/09/2007 and 31/08/2008
• Young people under 25 (born on or after 21/07/2001) who will be starting higher education for the first time, or who will be starting further education for the first time as a residential student, in autumn 2026
• International students under 25 entering their first year of university. They should receive their first dose in their home country where possible to give the best chance of protection ahead of the start of the autumn term

Two doses of the vaccine are needed for protection at least 28 days apart.

Those born between between 01/09/2007 and 31/08/2008 can book via the NHS National Booking Service for appointments at community pharmacies. Other eligible people can contact a participating pharmacy to book an appointment.

A rapid early assessment by UKHSA estimates there were 2,877 heat-associated deaths during 2 notable periods of hot weather in May and June 2026, almost double the figure reported annually for 2025.

The June heatwave lasted for 8 days and triggered a red heat-health alert. This was only the second time the highest level of alert has been issued in England, reflecting the exceptional temperatures recorded. Both May and June also broke Met Office monthly temperature records for England. 

Based on this interim data, it is likely that 2026 could see the highest number of heat-associated deaths on record, surpassing the 2,985 recorded in 2022. We will publish finalised figures in the annual report in early 2027.

To support partners in preparing and responding to these events, UKHSA recently published the updated Adverse Weather and Health Plan for England for 2026 to 2027.

In partnership with the Met Office, UKHSA provides the Weather-Health Alerting system, which provides an early warning when adverse temperatures are likely to impact on the health and wellbeing of the population. There are currently no Heat-Health Alerts in place.

A reminder that individuals and organisations that wish to receive the heat-health alerts must register to receive the alerts where users will be able to specify which regions they wish to receive alerts for. The alert status is also publicly available on the UKHSA Data Dashboard.

We also have a series of communications resources that stakeholders might find useful for their hot weather communications:

• Hot weather communications toolkit. The material in this toolkit is intended to provide basic health information that can be communicated during hot spells so that the right messages reach the right people at the right time.  
• UKHSA blog: How to keep cool and stay well during hot weather
• UKHSA blog: How to stay healthy while wild swimming
• UKHSA blog: Why severe wildfires are becoming more frequent in the UK and how to cope with the health risks
• Department for Education blog: Hot weather and heatwaves: guidance for schools and other education settings

UKHSA has published new data showing a sharp rise in cyclospora infections among travellers returning from Mexico. Cyclospora is a parasite that causes explosive diarrhoea. Contaminated food specifically herbs, salad and soft fruit are common sources of outbreaks and infections. 

We are advising all travellers to take precautions when travelling abroad including maintaining good food and water hygiene to reduce their risk of infection.

You can find out more about cyclospora and how to protect yourself when travelling in our blog post. 

A reminder that we also have a travel health communications toolkit to support stakeholders with their communications during the summer holidays, which includes messaging for both holidaymakers and visiting friends and relatives. 

UKHSA and NHS England have updated the communications toolkit for UTI prevention and awareness in older adults.

The toolkit provides key messages, educational resources, and ready-to-use social media assets aimed at people aged 65 and over, as well as those in their support networks.

Designed for use in GP practices, pharmacies, care homes, and community settings, the materials focus on UTI prevention and recognising potential UTI symptoms.

New for this year, the toolkit includes:

• A short UTI prevention awareness video for waiting room screens
• A UTI prevention poster and UTI symptom poster translated into 13 additional languages

Join us for the UKHSA Conference 2026 at Manchester Central on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 September. In partnership with the Faculty of Public Health (FPH), this year's conference theme is Securing health together: Partnership, prevention, preparedness.

Alongside leading voices from UKHSA, our plenary programme so far welcomes an impressive line-up of guest speakers and topics, with further announcements still to come -

• Charlotte Refsum (Tony Blair Institute for Global Change) and Saeed Alavi (Vice President for Vaccines and General Medicine, UK, GSK) on how the UK can become a global leader in health security innovation
• The BBC's Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent Marianna Spring and Cambridge University's Professor Sander van der Linden on prebunking misinformation
• Adam Kucharski (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) and Henrietta Hughes (Patient Safety Commissioner for England) on how AI could shape health security

Our featured abstracts track will also take centre stage for the first time, running alongside the main programme within the exhibition hall.

Visit the conference website for the latest information and to book your place. If you have any questions, please contact the conference team at conference@ukhsa.gov.uk.

Our latest measles data shows that measles continues to circulate in many parts of the country.

Between 1 January 2026 and 20 July 2026, there have been 933 laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in England, an increase of 50 cases since the last report on 6 July 2026. 

The majority (61%) of these cases were in children aged 10 years and under, and 33% were in young people and adults aged 15 years and over. A total of 51% of these cases have been in London, 16%  in the West Midlands, and 10% in the North West. However, all regions have reported at least one confirmed case with symptom onset since January 2026.

Three measles-related deaths have been reported to date in 2026: one was an acute measles death in a child, another was a death in a child due to late effects of measles, and the third was a death in an adult with an underlying immunological problem.

We continue to work with partners to urge parents to check their children are up top date with their MMR or MMRV vaccines to give them the best and safest protection against measles.

Further resources

• We have a measles communications toolkit which brings together a range of resources which partners can use to raise awareness of measles, its signs and symptoms, and the MMR/MMRV vaccination offer. This is available on our Google Drive.
• We also have a measles communications toolkit which brings together a range of resources which partners can use to raise awareness of measles, its signs and symptoms, and the MMR/MMRV vaccination offer. This is available on our Google Drive.

Confirmed cases of Salmonella in England reached their highest level in ten years in 2024 according to UKHSA data, with both Salmonella and Campylobacter remaining elevated in 2025. Cases rise during summer months, often linked to undercooked or mishandled meat, poultry and eggs.

With BBQ season underway, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is urging people to avoid common food safety mistakes. Key advice includes always cooking meat all the way through — checking juices run clear and that a thermometer reads at least 75°C — using separate utensils for raw and cooked food, keeping food chilled and out of direct sunlight and taking extra care with high-risk dishes like cooked chicken, egg dishes and prepared salads.

On 7 June, the FSA launched its latest consumer-focused campaign, called ‘Stop. Think. Serve’. It focuses on the everyday kitchen habits that can put people at risk, particularly those who are more vulnerable to foodborne illness including young children, older adults, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals.