The proportion of people falling ill with flu continues to rise as new figures show more than two-thirds of toddlers have not had their flu vaccine.

The number of flu cases confirmed in hospitals in the week to December 8 was 472, up from 330 the week before.

There were 124 new admissions to intensive care or high dependency units for flu, up from 80 the week before.

The latest weekly Public Health England (PHE) data shows the hospitalisation rate from flu is at "moderate intensity levels", with a rate of 5.06 per 100,000 compared to 4.01 the week before.

New data shows there were eight deaths in intensive care units in the week to December 8 when flu was a factor - the highest number this season and taking the total death toll for the UK to 15 over a nine-week period.

Children aged two and three are eligible for the nasal spray flu vaccine via their GP surgery.

The latest figures show 28.9% of two-year-olds have had the vaccine, while the figure is at 28.1% for three-year-olds.

The proportion of people seeing their GP because of flu has also risen, with the highest rates seen in children aged one to 14.

Calls to NHS 111 regarding cold and flu also continue to increase and stand at "medium intensity levels", with "highest activity noted in the five to 14 years age group and in the north of England".

The report said: "Cough calls and difficulty breathing continued to increase, particularly in young children aged under one."

A&E attendances for bronchiolitis also showed a further increase in children aged under one.

Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, head of flu at PHE, said: "Flu season has now started and so it's really important that people get their flu vaccine as soon as possible to ensure they are protected against this potentially very serious illness.

"The initial evidence suggests the vaccine is a good match for the main strain of flu that is circulating."

For the equivalent week last year, ending December 9, there were 50 cases of flu confirmed in hospitals and 37 new admissions to intensive care or high dependency units.

PHE data shows the hospitalisation rate from flu was "below baseline threshold levels", with a rate of 0.54 per 100,000 people in England.

At this point last year, 39.1% of two-year-olds and 40.2% of three-year-olds had received their flu vaccination.

Professor Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said: "Almost 8,000 patients went to their GP with influenza-like illness last week (December 2-8) - up 1,500 on the previous week, according to data from the RCGP's Research and Surveillance Centre.

"Winter is certainly upon us and our Research and Surveillance Centre figures show rates of influenza-like illness are higher than the five-year average, although still within levels that would be expected at this time of year.

"The rise is particularly notable in patients aged five to 14 and in practices in the north of England."

He added: "It is not too late to get a flu jab. This is the best protection we have against the flu and we urge all patients in at-risk groups to get vaccinated and for parents of young children to arrange this for their children as soon as possible."