01 October 2003

FLU TIME BOMB AROUND THE CORNER

As winter approaches people need to take stepsnow to protect themselves against a potential flu time bomb. Flu affects onein five adults in the UK and kills between 3,000 and 4,000 people every year*.It accounts for more than 150 million lost working days a year at a cost ofnearly 7 billion** to British business.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) believes arepeat of the 1918 influenza pandemic, that killed 20 million people in lessthan two years, could strike again***. The pandemic - a disease affectingpeople over a wide geographical area - was the result of a mutated strain offlu which could develop or reappear, at any time.

BUPA Wellness which, since 1999 has protectednearly 100,000 people from flu, predicts that 2003 could be its busiest year todate as awareness of infectious disease remains at an all-time high followingthe outbreak of SARS. This year vaccinations will be available for 14 atcentres across the UK.

Dr Peter Mace, medical director, BUPA Wellnesssaid: People need to be aware that flu is similar in its symptoms to SARS andits not just the elderly who are at risk. Flu can have a debilitating effecton all adults. Although many people recover from the symptoms in around a week,lack of energy and strength can keep them off work for longer.

Dr Mace continued: Big cities such as London,New York and Tokyo could become originators of a flu pandemic. Every daymillions of people travel to and from work packed onto tubes and buses creatingthe perfect environment for the flu virus to spread. As we saw with the recentSARS outbreak, distance is no longer a barrier as these viruses spread aroundthe globe.

The jab protects against both the InfluenzaType A and Type B strains which the WHO predicts are going to be the biggestthreats this year. Type A flu mainly affects healthy adults as opposed to TypeB, which affects children.

Vaccinations are available to individuals atselected BUPA Wellness centres across London and in Birmingham, Bristol,Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham, Southampton, Leeds and Reading. For furtherinformation please contact BUPA Wellness on 0845 300 8220 (lines are openbetween 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday) or email fluvac@bupa.com.

-Ends-

* Department of Health
** Reported by the Consumer Health Information Centre, Cold and Flu Campaign1998-2000
*** According to the WHO Global Influenza Programs Pandemic Preparednesswebpage (www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic/en/)

For more information, contact:

Jonathan Sollitt-Davis
Corporate Communications
+44 (0)20 7656 2877
7725 2877
solittdj@bupa.com