As of 22 October (week 42), influenza positivity – the rate of laboratory confirmed flu cases – among school children aged 5 to 14 years is higher than any other age group, at a weekly average positivity rate of 5.7% compared with a whole population weekly average of 2.5%.
All school-aged children, up to and including year 11, are eligible for a free nasal spray flu vaccine. The spray, delivered through local NHS School Immunisation Teams, is quick and painless. The vaccine usually produces a better immune response in children and evidence from last year’s flu season shows strong effectiveness for children in England with a 54% reduction in hospitalisation for those between 2 and 17 years of age.
Delivery of the flu vaccine in schools started in early September and the local Immunisation Teams will move from school to school across their region throughout October and November, with school vaccination sessions completed by mid-December. It’s important that parents do sign and return the consent forms on time. In some areas this will now be sent digitally to make consent easier.
Last year saw a sudden increase in the number of people having to be hospitalised, due to a flu peak in the week leading up to Christmas and then again at the end of January. So even getting a vaccination in November will protect children for the usual peak flu season in December and January, and also importantly help stop them spreading the virus to others who are more vulnerable, such as grandparents or baby brothers and sisters.
If your child has missed out on getting their flu vaccine at school, there will be further opportunities to get vaccinated, potentially at NHS community clinics. The school immunisation team will be able to provide further details. For children in a clinical risk group who have missed out, it is possible to make an appointment for the vaccine at your GP surgery.
Younger children, aged 2 years (before the flu vaccination seasons starts on 1 September) and all 3 year olds, are also able to receive a flu vaccine from their GP surgery.
To help reduce the impact of winter viruses on those most at risk, as well as ease NHS winter pressures, UKHSA – with Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England – has launched a scaled-up Get Winter Strong campaign. The campaign is currently running on broadcast TV, on demand and community TV, as well as radio channels, outdoor poster sites across England and on social media channels.
The campaign will urge those eligible to get their flu and COVID-19 vaccination when invited, ahead of winter, targeting those at greatest risk.