The Department of Health & Social Care have been in touch to let me know that to help halt the spread of flu this autumn and winter, the annual NHS flu vaccination programme for children aged 2-3, school age children, and children over 6 months with certain health conditions, is getting underway, with parents receiving invites this week. For children to receive a flu vaccine, they’re urging parents to ensure children’s school consent forms are completed, and that eligible pre-schoolers are booked in for GP appointments. The nasal spray vaccine does not cause flu as the viruses in it have been weakened to prevent this from happening, helping each child to build up immunity. This means vaccinated children will be better able to fight off flu this autumn and winter. The vaccine is absorbed very quickly in the nose, so even if a child sneezes immediately after having had the spray, the vaccine will still be effective. Flu vaccination is the best protection we have against an unpredictable virus. Flu can be a very unpleasant illness in children causing fever, extreme tiredness, aching muscles and joints, stuffy nose, dry cough and a sore throat. Complications of flu include painful inflammation inside the ear and pneumonia that makes breathing difficult. Each winter thousands of children need to go to hospital for treatment, including intensive care, with children under the age of 5 years' old having one of the highest rates of hospital admissions due to flu. By getting vaccinated, your child also protects others around them, including babies, grandparents and people with weak immune systems. 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 surgery if you don’t want to wait for the school session. 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. You can find out more, here: https://tinyurl.com/ycxhdjhb.