Professor Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, has published his Annual Report 2025 on infectious diseases. The Department of Health and Social Care’s GOV.UK release presents practical recommendations for the public, the NHS and government, alongside an assessment of progress and persisting risks.
Progress has substantially reduced the threat of once‑common infections in children and young adults. The report notes that the risk profile has shifted: the great majority of deaths from infections now occur in older adults, who are more likely to experience severe disease and lasting harm.
Whitty highlights that infections can increase the risk of other major conditions in older age, including stroke and heart attack, for several weeks after the acute illness. Even relatively mild infections can diminish quality of life through pain, reduced mobility, repeat hospital admissions and social isolation. The report calls for a more systematic approach to prevention in older adults, mirroring successes achieved in younger cohorts.
Vaccination is described as the most effective protection against several dangerous infections, including meningococcal disease, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), measles and polio. Childhood vaccination also provides protection that can be lifelong against cancers such as cervical and liver cancer. While uptake across England and the wider UK remains high by global standards, some rates are drifting down and need to be restored.
The public health case is dual: vaccination protects the individual and those around them by reducing exposure. Whitty cautions that allowing uptake to fall risks losing one of medicine’s major achievements in protecting children from previously common serious infections.
A central technical message is that infectious agents evolve. Unlike many other disease areas, pathogens can adapt around existing protections, including through antimicrobial resistance and, in some cases, reduced vaccine effectiveness. The report argues for continuous innovation in surveillance, diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to stay ahead of microbial evolution.
On wider health security, the report states that large epidemics and pandemics have occurred throughout history and will occur again. The capacity to respond rapidly must be maintained between emergencies; disinvestment after crises leaves the system vulnerable when the next threat emerges.
England’s strengths are also set out. The UK retains substantial expertise in preventing, diagnosing and treating rare, serious and imported infections, domestically and in support of global health. Maintaining this capability-spanning public health intelligence, clinical services and research-is framed as a public good that reduces risk for all.
Leadership from the UK Health Security Agency underscores the whole‑system requirement for readiness, with national laboratories and coordination relying on primary care, hospitals, local authorities, academia and industry working in concert and backed by sustained investment.
Recent vaccine advances for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), shingles and COVID‑19 demonstrate the scope to improve outcomes for older adults when prevention is prioritised. The report identifies these as opportunities to reduce hospitalisations and protect independence, provided uptake is strong and programmes are well delivered.
Expert commentary alongside the report points to the international nature of infectious threats and the importance of sustaining UK research and clinical leadership. Oxford’s vaccinology expertise reiterates the everyday value of the NHS vaccination programme in preventing severe infections and easing pressure on hospital services.
The Chief Medical Officer’s annual reports have been issued for more than 150 years as an independent assessment of the public’s health in England. This publication sets out a clear agenda: protect older adults more systematically, reverse declines in vaccine uptake, invest to counter antimicrobial resistance, maintain pandemic readiness and preserve specialist capacity across the system.