Parents Urged To Vaccinate Children Over Half-term As Flu Cases Rise

Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated against flu complete half-term arsenic nan NHS warned of rising cases of nan disease.

There is an early flu season, wellness officials say, and nan latest information for England showed cases and hospitalisations were increasing.

NHS England said galore schoolhouse children will person already received nan vaccine astatine schoolhouse but location are still options for those who person not, including pop-up clinics.

GP surgeries tin springiness flu vaccines to school-aged children and those pinch definite wellness conditions, arsenic good arsenic 2 to 3 twelvemonth olds, while preschoolers tin besides beryllium taken to pharmacies for nan vaccine.

Most children are offered nan vaccine successful a nasal spray alternatively than an injection.

NHS England's play flu and Covid surveillance study said location was accrued flu activity "particularly among children".

Duncan Burton, main nursing serviceman for England, said it was concerning that nan flu had deed early this twelvemonth and nan summation among children was "worrying".

"Flu tin dispersed for illustration wildfire crossed schools and tin make children really unwell," he said.

"The microorganism changes each year, truthful vaccination remains nan champion measurement to shield your kid from getting earnestly ill."

He urged parents to make judge they had opted their kid successful for an in-school vaccine aliases find their nearest clinic.

Pop-up clinics were being held successful places for illustration bowling alleys and occurrence stations, Mr Burton told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, adding that nan vaccine was "quick, easy and safe".

Dr Fari Ahmad told BBC Breakfast that while she was seeing cases, "I don't deliberation we've rather deed nan highest yet".

"With flu, this is simply a warfare we person each year. Flu is unpredictable, it still kills group and each twelvemonth we effort to get capable group vaccinated truthful that erstwhile nan large surge comes we are not decimated," she said.

Dr Ahmad said that getting capable school-age children vaccinated meant that it made that surge better, "because they are spreaders".

"It will beryllium awesome for nan kids individually but it will besides beryllium amended for each of us," she said.

NHS England said much than 10 cardinal vaccines person already been delivered successful nan latest campaign, including to almost 1.5 cardinal school-aged children and much than 300,000 eligible 2 and 3 twelvemonth olds.

Free vaccines are disposable to those older than 65, pinch definite semipermanent wellness conditions, are pregnant, unrecorded successful a attraction home, nan main carer for an older aliases abnormal personification aliases unrecorded pinch personification who has a weakened immune system.