Many people were interested in reading about protecting their health in 2024 – about a million people in fact.
This was the number of readers who came to our blog last year for advice and information on a wide range of topics, from tick bites to bed bugs. In December, our blog was the most read in the country.
We use our blog to warn and inform about diseases and epidemics, and to inform you about things that may affect the health of you and your family. Among this information, you will find sections about our science – how and why the work we do exists – and more detailed information about initiatives such as programs injection. Sign up here to receive our new posts by email.
Our most read blog posts of 2024 and what they were about
Should we be worried about a new strain of COVID-19?
The emergence of the ‘XEC’ strain of COVID-19 meant people were looking for clues as to how this new genus – or group of genetically similar viruses – compared to other strains.
Who is eligible for the 2024 COVID-19 vaccine, or ‘Autumn Booster’?
A simple guide to who was eligible for the COVID-19 ‘Autumn Booster’ vaccination program.
What winter bug do I have? Know the signs and symptoms
Google Trends data told us, in the run-up to Christmas, that many people were searching for ‘signs and symptoms’ of winter illnesses. We’ve published this guide to the most common winter illnesses and their symptoms, to help people see what could be making them and their families feel unwell. Thousands of people have read it since then.
Blog posts that kept people reading them
These were the blogs that captured people’s attention the most and kept them reading the longest.
What is Lyme disease and why should we care?
This post is a detailed guide to Lyme disease and why we should be aware of ticks when we go out and about.
sexually transmitted diseases over the centuries
In British Science Week we published this feature about sexually transmitted diseases and how they are becoming more common.
Whooping cough: One mother’s story of love, loss and action
We were seeing a high number of cases of whooping cough in the first few months of 2024 and published this study as part of our wider work to increase the use of the pertussis vaccine.
Some of our favorites
Here are a few blogs we think are worth your time:
How virus-munching viruses can provide an alternative to antibiotics
Bacteriophages, or phages for short, look like something scary, but these so-called ‘spider viruses’ occur in nature, and could be a powerful new weapon to tackle the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.
In A Collection of British Deadly Fungi
Read about the UKHSA’s National Collection of Pathogenic Fungi (NCPF), home to over 4,500 strains of potentially deadly fungi.
What is Cryptosporidium and how can you avoid it in water or on the farm?
Our guide to the tiny germs that can cause an unpleasant – and sometimes dangerous – disease called cryptosporidiosis.
Why is the norovirus report so high in England at the moment?
You’ll probably know someone who has contracted norovirus this year, as we’ve seen the highest number of cases since our reporting system began. This blog post looks at the situation in detail.
If you’re interested in what 2025 has in store for our health, subscribe to the UKHSA blog for the latest advice and information.
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