People are being urged to make sure they are vaccinated against Covid-19 and the flu as health experts fear chaos during the winter months.

“With the risk of a ‘tripledemic’ of winter viruses – COVID, flu and RSV – if you are pregnant or aged 75 to 79, it is also so important that you join those who have protected themselves against RSV in the last month to boost your or your child’s protection against a very nasty illness.”

"A ‘tripledemic’ refers to side-by-side outbreaks of three respiratory illnesses, typically occurring during the autumn and winter seasons," Dr Chun Tang, a GP at Pall Mall, told the Independent. "In recent years, it’s been used to describe the simultaneous spread of Covid-19, influenza (flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)."

Appealing for all those eligible to come forward for vaccinations, NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis warned the threat posed by these viruses is “all too real”. He said: “Express readers will know what a vital role vaccination played in bringing us out of the darkest days of the pandemic.