Pregnant women and children are being urged to come forward for flu jabs amid concern about low levels of uptake.

Health officials warned that the main strain in circulation this year is more likely to infect children and young people, as they issued the plea.

Latest figures show take up is significantly lower than this time last year, in most age groups.

It follows the failure of last year’s jabs, which fuelled the highest winter death toll for more than 40 years.

This year, new types of vaccines are being offered, but the scramble to get hold of stocks meant GPs were asked to delay offering the jabs to some patients.

Prof Paul Cosford, Public Health England’s medical director, said this year’s jabs appeared to be a good match with the main strain in circulation - H1N1 - which typically infects younger people.

The figures show that so far, take up is significantly lower than last year, among pregnant women, pensioners as well as younger adults with health conditions, such as asthma and diabetes.

During pregnancy, women and their unborn babies are at higher risk of complications from flu because of reduced immunity.

Just 40.8 per cent of pregnant women have had the jab so far this year, compared with 43.5 per cent this time last year, with almost identical trends seen among adults with health conditions.