The number of people falling ill with flu has plummeted by 95%.

According to figures published by The Sunday Times, flu levels this low haven't been seen in more than 130 years.

Research shows that the number of illnesses being reported with symptoms of the flu was just 1.1 per 100,000. This is in stark contrast with the five-year average rate of 27 per 100,000.

The flu has been "almost completely wiped out", said Simon de Lusignan, professor of primary care at the University of Oxford and director of the Royal College of GPs research and surveillance centre. "I cannot think of a year this has happened."

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John McCauley, director of the World Health Organisation's collaborating centre for reference and research on influenza, added: "The last time we had evidence of such low rates was when we were still just counting influenza deaths, and that was in 1888, before the 1889-90 flu pandemic."

It is believed by some experts that strict social distancing and quarantine measures may have had an impact on the steep decline in cases of the bug. With less social contact and better hygiene, the virus has had less opportunity to spread.

In the summer of last year, UK citizens were urged by their government to get a flu vaccine in order to lessen the strain on the National Health Service (NHS).

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At the end of last year, the free flu vaccine program was extended to those over the age of 50 in order to combat the "twin threats" of flu and Covid-19.

Earlier that year, the government shared plans of what they said would be the most substantial flu vaccination program in the country's history, with enough flu jabs for 30 million people throughout the winter.

NHS England's chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said last week he had hopes of a combined flu and Covid vaccine.

Speaking at at a parliamentary hearing regarding the vaccine roll-out last week, he said: "It would be great if the COVID vaccine and flu vaccine ends up being combined into a single vaccine, which we might see if not this winter but future winters as well."

Flu levels have plummeted 95% to their lowest figures in 130 years