Public Health Scotland Update

10 October 2025

Welcome to the October edition of the Public Health Scotland Newsletter. The past month has seen the release of a new blog, publications and the latest health news from the Public Health Scotland website. We encourage you to browse our latest updates and gain an insight into how we are working towards a Scotland where everybody thrives.

Scotland’s flu vaccine programme protects those most at risk from severe illness

This year’s winter vaccine programme has started, with a clear message to all those who are being invited: ‘If you’re offered the flu vaccine, you’ve got a reason to get it.’

Get involved in our Annual Review 2025

You can get involved in our next Annual Review, which takes place on Friday 7 November 2025.

Innovating for a healthier Scotland

To mark National Innovation Week, PHS was proud to launch our new Innovation Framework – a roadmap to embed innovation at the heart of how we work, collaborate, and improve health outcomes for the Scottish population.

Whooping cough vaccine successful in reducing hospitalisations

Findings from a paper published in the medical journal, Eurosurveillance, show that fully vaccinated children aged 8 weeks to 17 years were 69% less likely to be hospitalised with whooping cough (pertussis).

Preparing for Scotland’s winter respiratory season

With the start of the winter approaching, the Viral Respiratory team at PHS is gearing up their surveillance of respiratory infections. In our latest blog, Masie Rezaie, Principal Healthcare Scientist, tells us how the team gathers and shares this information to ensure Scotland is better prepared for the winter, and gives advice on what we can do to keep ourselves healthy and well.

The village we need to build: Reflections on the Prevention 25 conference

In this blog, Rishma Maini, Consultant in Public Health and Co-lead of Clinical Health Intelligence and Research Division at PHS, reflects on her recent attendance at the Scottish Prevention Hub’s conference in Edinburgh.

Eating Out, Eating Well and Children's Code of Practice Pilot Research

This report assesses how practical and achievable the Eating Out, Eating Well (EOEW) Framework and the Code of Practice for Children’s Menus (COP) are.

View the report

Interventions to reduce harms from cocaine

This scoping review gives an overview of the highly-synthesised evidence on how to reduce harms associated with cocaine use.

View the report

Consensus approach on prevention of substance use harm among children and young people

Public Health Scotland set out to establish consensus and describe the key themes that contribute to a national approach to substance use harm prevention among children and young people in Scotland.

View the report

Public Health Scotland Update

News and updates

Scotland’s flu vaccine programme protects those most at risk from severe illness

Get involved in our Annual Review 2025

Innovating for a healthier Scotland

Whooping cough vaccine successful in reducing hospitalisations

From our blog

Preparing for Scotland’s winter respiratory season

The village we need to build: Reflections on the Prevention 25 conference

New publications

Eating Out, Eating Well and Children's Code of Practice Pilot Research

Interventions to reduce harms from cocaine

Consensus approach on prevention of substance use harm among children and young people