Public research body · Science policy · London, United Kingdom (UKHSA headquarters in London; additional laboratories and scientific campuses across the UK) · Est. 2021
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is the United Kingdom’s executive health-protection and health-security agency, sponsored by the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). UKHSA’s core mission is to prepare for and respond to infectious diseases and environmental hazards, providing scientific and operational leadership to protect people’s health and build national health-security capability.
It operates nationally and in partnership with local authorities, the NHS, and other governmental and international partners, reflecting that much of health protection is delivered through a networked, multi-organisational system. UKHSA is led by a Chief Executive and a governance structure that includes an Advisory Board chaired by Ian Peters and an Executive Committee. The agency integrates “clinical/public health” expertise (including a professional health leadership function) with laboratory, surveillance, data, and operational response capabilities. It also publishes and updates health-security risk and threat assessments, including a Health Security Risk Assessment (HSRA) designed to provide a structured comparison of health security risks over a multi-year horizon. Strategically, UKHSA is also managing a substantial “campus” and facilities programme that includes planned consolidation/redevelopment of high-containment and other key scientific and corporate functions. UKHSA’s public reporting and communications show an emphasis on modern surveillance approaches (including data-driven and laboratory-linked methods) and on translating risk assessment into practical preparedness and response planning. As of late September 2026, UKHSA continues to operate across live public-health incident work (for example, outbreak investigations and routine health alerts), while also progressing longer-horizon preparedness outputs such as the Health Security Risk Assessment and related risk and resilience planning.
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Guidance on how to manage influenza (flu) using anti-viral agents.
Research: ObLong: study of asymptomatic COVID-19 testing in acute NHS hospitalsObservational longitudinal (ObLong) study to determine impact of asymptomatic COVID-19 testing on NHS acute trusts in 2022 and challenges to implementing policy
Ebola and Marburg: returning workers scheme (RWS)Advice for people returning to the UK after working in an Ebola or Marburg virus affected area.
Research: Lead exposure in children: surveillance reports (from 2021)Results of laboratory-based surveillance of elevated blood lead concentrations in children in England.
Ebola and Marburg haemorrhagic fevers: outbreaks and case locationsInformation about incidents and outbreaks of Ebola and Marburg, both viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHF).
Official Statistics: Weekly all-cause mortality surveillance: 2026 to 2027How the actual number of deaths in England compare with the expected numbers of deaths for each week.
ChikungunyaThe characteristics, symptoms, diagnosis and epidemiology of chikungunya.
Research: Notifiable diseases: causative agents reports for 2026Weekly data from UK laboratories on the number of cases of notifiable bacteria and viruses (see important note in Details section, below).
UKHSA publishes latest Cold mortality monitoring reportFindings from the report show that 2,200 deaths were associated with cold weather in England during winter 2025 to 2026.
UKHSA, alongside the Food Standards Agency and other partners, continued investigating Salmonella Enteritidis clusters that evidence suggests may be linked to imported eggs; the post includes updated case/death totals by cluster and ongoing risk messaging.
Latest figures highlight ongoing Meningitis B risk for studentsUKHSA published updated figures and messaging aimed at students, highlighting ongoing risk of meningitis B and promoting vaccination actions around student start-of-term periods.
Only around half of primary school children got their flu vaccine last yearUKHSA shared updated vaccination uptake data for primary school children and messaging encouraging parents to return flu consent forms as school-based roll-out begins.
Invasive mosquito species detected in east LondonUKHSA reported detection of invasive Aedes aegypti breeding in east London and described enhanced surveillance in response to the finding.
Could sleep app data help identify respiratory disease trends in England?UKHSA and Sleep Cycle announced the start of a 12-week research collaboration exploring whether privacy-preserved sleep-app data could support early detection of respiratory illness trends.
UKHSA report shows 2,877 excess deaths caused by May and June heatwavesUKHSA reported an estimate of excess heat-associated deaths for May and June 2026 and tied the analysis to ongoing heat-health preparedness messaging.