1989–1990 flu epidemic in the United Kingdom

The 1989–1990 flu epidemic in the United Kingdom was an influenza epidemic of A(H3N2) type flu that occurred during the winter of 1989–1990. Cases were reported in other parts of Europe, including France, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the Soviet Union. At its peak, the epidemic saw an infection rate of between 534 and 600 people per 100,000, while various sources have attributed between 19,000 and 29,000 deaths to the outbreak.

A study published in the December 1990 issue of the British Journal of General Practice notes that the outbreak was first recorded as an epidemic in mid-November 1989, with cases peaking in the UK in the week beginning 6 December. During the period from 15 November until the end of that year, the number of people reporting respiratory illnesses was roughly double the usual figure for that time of year, though not as high as some previous flu outbreaks. The New York Times reported that the outbreak was the worst to occur in Britain since the winter of 1975–76, and was similar to that winter's strain of flu, which killed 1,283 people. By 24 December the flu virus had infected more than a million people in the UK, and hospitals were cancelling surgery. Government statistics for the UK reported 102 deaths for the first week of December, an increase from seven on the same time the previous year. In Scotland, 2,400 deaths were reported in the seven days preceding Christmas Eve, an increase of 1,092 on the five year rolling average. Flu-related deaths for Wales over that winter were reported to be 1,627.