Record numbers of people in
England will be offered a free flu vaccine this winter, including all primary school children for the first time ever, Public Health England (PHE) has revealed.
Previously, only children in Years 5 and below were given the vaccine. This year, an extra 600,000 children will benefit from it, as the scheme rolls out to Year 6 pupils too.
It’s hoped the roll-out will reduce illness, GP consultations, hospital admissions and even deaths in the community. So what do parents need to know about the vaccine?Related... Your Flu Jab Could Be Delayed This Year – Here's What You Need To Know What is flu?Flu is not the same as a cold – the symptoms are often worse and tend to come on very quickly.
Symptoms can include a high temperature, fatigue, a dry, chesty cough, headaches, chills, aching muscles, and limb or joint pain.
Other signs include diarrhoea or abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, a sore throat, a runny or blocked nose, sneezing, a loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping.
Children might also develop a pain in their ear and appear less active.Why are kids given the vaccine?Professor Yvonne Doyle, medical director for PHE, said vaccinating children against flu protects the rest of society, too.
“Children are ‘super spreaders’ of flu,” she said. “Flu vaccination not only protects the children but it also protects other, more vulnerable members of the community from a potentially horrible illness.”
For people with existing medical conditions like asthma or heart disease, flu can progress into more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, or even worsen their existing conditions.
In some cases it can result in death – last season, there were an estimated 1,692 deaths in the
UK linked to flu.How are kids given the vaccine?This year’s vaccine will be given to children in the form of a nasal spray, rather than a needle (unless they have a medical condition that means they should receive the injectable version). It aims to protect against four strains of flu.
Side effects of the nasal vaccine can include a runny or blocked nose, headache, tiredness and some loss of appetite.
In total, around 4.7 million school age children in England will be offered the vaccine. “It’s the best defence we have against an unpredictable virus,” said Prof Doyle. Related... Guys, Flu Season Is On The Horizon – Here's What You Need To Know How effective is it?Last year’s nasal spray flu vaccine was 48.6% effective among children aged two to 17 years old, PHE states. The 2018 vaccine was more effective than the 2017 vaccine, data shows.
It is hard to improve effectiveness as, every year, scientists have to guess which strains will be most prevalent. This year, they estimate that the following strains will circulate, based on surveillance of flu seasons in the southern hemisphere:A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1) virus strain,A/Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2) virus strain,B/Colorado/06/2017 virus strain (B/Victoria/2/87 lineage),B/Phuket/3073/2013 virus strain (B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage). When will the vaccine be issued?If they haven’t had it already, children will receive their flu vaccine throughout the school term up until the end of November, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said at a media briefing.
Discussing the
Brexit deadline on 31 October, the spokesperson added that they “do not anticipate delays” to the delivery of the nasal spray vaccines. Most should have arrived in the UK before 31 October, they said.
Flu cases tend to peak in December, so people are urged to get vaccinated before then. What to do if your child has fluIf your child develops flu, they should stay home and rest. Don’t send them to school as they will pass the virus around.
Make sure your child wraps up warm and drinks plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Speak to a pharmacist who can recommend appropriate treatments to relieve symptoms.
Hygiene is an important way to prevent the spread of flu, so encourage your child to sneeze and cough into tissues, which should then be binned.
They should be encouraged to wash their hands regularly too, to keep the virus as contained as possible.Related... Medicine Waste Is 'A Huge Problem For NHS' As Pill Packet Photo Goes Viral 1 In 5 Believe The Flu Jab Will Give Them Flu – Here's Why They're Wrong Mum Warns Parents About Flu 'Symptom', So Is This A Sign Parents Should Look Out For?