Parents and carers are being encouraged to get their children vaccinated against flu this half-term.
Two and three-year-olds and children who are home schooled or missed the in-school offer can get their flu vaccination during the autumn half-term.
The flu vaccination provides vital protection to prevent people from developing serious illnesses and ending up in hospital during the busy winter months.
The vaccine is usually given to children as a quick and painless spray up the nose – without the need for an injection – unless your child cannot have porcine (pork) gelatine in medical products, in which case an injected flu vaccine is available as an alternative.
You can book flu vaccinations through your GP practice, online, via the NHS App or by calling 119 for free.
Children can also get their flu vaccine and catch-up on other missed vaccinations at community clinics. Find more information at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Parents can also make sure your child is protected against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).
Please check your child’s Red Book to see if they have missed any vaccines or check with their GP if you are unsure. Children will need both doses of the MMR vaccine to be protected.
Children eligible for flu vaccine include:
- all children aged two or three years on 31 August 2024
- primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
- secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
- all children in clinical risk groups aged from six months to less than 18 years.
Kate Langford, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Kent and Medway, said: “Flu vaccines are safe and effective. They're offered every year on the NHS to help protect people at risk of flu and its complications.
“Flu can be a very unpleasant illness in children, causing fever, stuffy nose, dry cough, sore throat, aching muscles and joints and extreme tiredness.
“It is important that parents make sure children are protected as they can easily spread the illness among their friends and family.”
Kent County Council Director of Public Health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, said: “School holidays are a really good time to catch children up on any vaccinations they’ve missed – and there’s lots of ways to book and local centres to attend so we hope parents and carers can find an option that fits in with busy family life.
“Protecting children from winter bugs and other infectious diseases reduces the risk of them losing valuable days at school and you needing to take time off work to care for them. It also helps safeguards vulnerable relatives and friends who could get very ill if they picked up a virus like flu.”
David Whiting, Medway Council’s Acting Director of Public Health, said: “Ensuring your child’s routine vaccinations are up to date is incredibly important, and as we move towards the winter months it’s important that they get their flu jab, too.
"Vaccination is one of the best tools we have to keep our loved ones safe, and I would encourage parents and carers whose children are eligible to book their appointment this half-term.”
Find more information at www.GetVaccinatedNow.co.uk
Max, 3, from Ashford had his flu vaccination last weekend.