This half term parents can take children to receive flu vaccinations at community pop-up clinics, including sessions being held at fire stations, as the NHS intensifies its winter vaccine drive.
England’s chief nursing officer has warned that flu is spreading early this season and can move quickly through schools. To help families catch up, local NHS teams are running additional clinics in convenient, familiar places — bowling alleys, football pitches, libraries, sports halls and fire stations — so children who missed their in-school jab can get protected over the break.
In the North West, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital has introduced winged ‘flu fairies’ to give jabs and comfort nervous youngsters, part of wider efforts to shield vulnerable children.
Children of school age with certain health conditions, and two- and three-year-olds, can also be vaccinated at their GP practice. Parents of eligible pre-schoolers can drop into participating pharmacies to get their child vaccinated for the first time.
The stepped-up activity follows data from the UK Health Security Agency showing rising flu cases and hospital admissions, with transmission among school-age children driving an earlier-than-usual season.
Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said officials are concerned about the early rise in cases and the speed at which flu can spread in schools. He urged parents to make use of easily accessible vaccination options — by opting in to in-school programmes or finding nearby half-term catch-up clinics — because annual vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of children becoming seriously unwell.
Vaccinations for children and pregnant women began at the start of September to get protection in place early. Since the campaign began, more than 10 million flu vaccines have been delivered, including nearly 1.5 million school-aged children and more than 300,000 eligible two- and three-year-olds.
Health Minister Stephen Kinnock echoed the message that vaccination is the best defence, saying he had had his own flu jab and encouraging parents who have not yet arranged one for their children to use half-term to attend local catch-up sessions to protect families and ease pressure on the NHS.
Flu jabs are free for everyone aged 65 and over; under-65s in clinical risk groups; care home residents and their carers; pregnant women; close contacts of people who are immunosuppressed; frontline health and social care staff; and children (including those in school years reception to year 11 where eligible).
This year, people aged 75 and over, those with weakened immune systems, and residents of older adult care homes are also eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine following guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
For details of local community clinics for school-aged children over the half term, check your local school vaccination website. Appointments for eligible two- and three-year-olds and adults can be booked via the NHS App, online at www.nhs.uk/bookflu, by calling 119 or by contacting your GP practice. You can also find participating pharmacies offering the vaccine at www.nhs.uk/flu-pharmacy.