Prevention First: Tackling Winter Respiratory Illness Together in Scotland

11:15 - 12:30

This session will explore how Public Health Scotland (PHS) led a coordinated, prevention-focused approach to winter preparedness and response for 2025/26. It will highlight early planning to maximise vaccination uptake, use of evidence to build confidence, and the role of integrated surveillance in identifying risks and informing action.

The session will demonstrate how multidisciplinary, cross-system collaboration across vaccination, surveillance and public health teams enabled rapid translation of intelligence into preventative action. It will also showcase the use of real-time data and predictive tools to support system readiness and planning.

Delegates will gain insight into the impact of this approach, including improved vaccine uptake and early detection of seasonal pressures, and consider how prevention-led planning and collaboration can strengthen resilience and be scaled across health and care systems.