One illness caused 10,000 children to end up in hospital last winter - and NHS leaders are warning that families should take up one crucial way of avoiding it.
The NHS is asking parents to ensure children’s consent forms are completed, and that eligible pre-schoolers are booked in for appointments at the GP practice, to stop the spread of flu this autumn and winter. More than one million children across the region in school years Reception to Year 11 are eligible for the flu vaccine in the form of a nasal spray, delivered in schools by immunisations teams.
By getting vaccinated, children also protect others around them, including babies, grandparents and people with weak immune systems, the health service is reminding parents. If your child has a medical condition that makes them more at risk from flu, such as asthma or cerebral palsy, you can get them vaccinated at the GP practice if you don’t want to wait for the school session, say NHS leaders. Children who can’t have the nasal spray for medical or faith reasons should have an injected flu vaccine instead, also provided free by the NHS.
Side effects of the nasal spray are typically mild if present at all. Children may develop a runny or blocked nose, headache, general tiredness, and some loss of appetite.
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