Flu vaccine

Why your child should have the flu vaccine

Flu can be a very unpleasant illness causing high temperature, aching muscles and joints, extreme tiredness, stuffy nose, dry cough, and sore throat. Complications include acute bronchitis, painful ear infections, and pneumonia. Some children may need to go to hospital for treatment, including intensive care. Children under the age of 5 years have the highest rate of hospital admissions due to flu.

Flu is particularly dangerous for children with asthma or epilepsy. Children with asthma who get flu can develop swollen and sensitive airways, and this can trigger asthma attacks2. Children of any age with neurological conditions are more likely than other children to become very sick if they get flu. Flu complications vary and can include pneumonia and even death for some children1

Having the flu vaccine helps reduce the spread of the virus to others in your family who could be at greater risk from the complications of flu, such as grandparents or those with long term health conditions.

Vaccine effectiveness

The flu vaccine is the best protection we have against this unpredictable virus. In the last few years, the protection that children get from vaccination has been consistently higher than for adults.

There are different strains of flu virus, and the most likely strains that will cause flu are identified in advance of the flu season. Flu viruses can change every year so the vaccine is usually updated each year. For this reason, we recommend that your child is vaccinated against flu every year.

We know from research into the first three years of the childhood flu programme that, in areas where the flu vaccine was piloted amongst primary school-aged children, there was an 85% reduction in hospital admissions due to flu. There was also a knock-on effect on GP consultations, with adults having 63% fewer consultations compared to areas where the vaccine wasn’t offered.

In 2019 the child flu vaccine was shown to have reduced the risk of vaccinated children getting flu by 45%. Children who catch flu after vaccination are less likely to be seriously ill or be admitted to hospital.

How the vaccine is given

The Flu vaccine is given as a nasal spray and is the most effective method for children. If the nasal spray is not suitable for a child (for medical/cultural reasons), an injection can be given instead, but this is not as effective.

Flu is caused by the influenza virus. The virus enters the body through the nose and mouth. From there it is transmitted to the throat and upper airways where it rapidly reproduces and goes on to cause the symptoms of flu. Children can catch and spread flu easily.

Flu can be a very unpleasant illness for children. It can lead to painful ear infections and serious problems, such as bronchitis and pneumonia.

Children with long-term health conditions, such as diabetes or heart problems, are at higher risk from flu. It's important they're vaccinated.

Vaccinating your child also protects others who are vulnerable to flu, such as babies and older people. People at risk from flu are also vulnerable to the complications of COVID-19.

What is flu? Animation for children

The children's flu vaccine is an annual vaccination to help protect them against flu.

Even if your child was vaccinated last year, it recommended that they have the vaccine each year and with COVID-19 still circulating, it has never been more important for your child to get the free flu vaccine.

The flu vaccine contains small amounts of weakened flu viruses. They do not cause flu in children.

The children’s flu vaccine is free and needle-free as most children are given a simple nasal spray, a single squirt up each nostril. It is quick and painless.

The nasal spray is safe and effective. It offers the best protection for children aged 2 to 17 years and it is offered every year to children to help protect them against flu. As the main flu viruses can change each year, a new nasal spray vaccine has to be given each year.

Note: The nasal spray vaccine contains small traces of pork gelatine (porcine gelatine). If you do not want your child to receive a vaccine containing gelatine an injectable vaccine can be offered as an alternative. Please call 0300 790 0597.

What children and parents think of the nasal spray vaccine

The nasal spray flu vaccine for children is very safe. Most side effects are mild and do not last long, such as:

a runny or blocked nose
a headache
tiredness
loss of appetite

If your child has the injected flu vaccine, side effects might include:

a sore arm (or thigh) where the injection was given
a slightly raised temperature
aching muscles

These side effects usually last for a day or two. It's rare for anyone to have a serious allergic reaction to the flu vaccine.

Our immunisation team are attending schools across the area this autumn to administer the annual flu vaccine. Delivering the vaccination programme through schools is the best way to ensure the maximum number of children are protected against flu.

If your child is at school, you will be contacted directly by your school. As a parent you can also refer your child to get a vaccine via:

Your GP
Paediatrics
Education staff and school
Acute Hospital Services
Social Care and housing
Other health professionals

Flu Vaccine

Flu is serious and with COVID-19 still circulating it has never been more important for your child to get their free vaccine.

Do your bit and protect your child and others from flu.

FAQs

Yes, it is free for

all children with a health condition up to 18 years old
those aged two to three years old
and all primary and school and secondary school children up to year 9.

It can be a serious illness that leads to complications like bronchitis and pneumonia, and painful ear infection in children. It could also mean more time off school. But flu also spreads easily so by vaccinating children you are also stopping the spread to your families and the wider community.

Children in primary school will receive their vaccine in the school setting. Children aged two and three on 31 August will receive their vaccine in the GP setting. If your child is at school, your school or GP will contact you about getting vaccinated before the winter.

Flu is a disease that spreads very rapidly, potentially causing widespread illness, especially in those who are already vulnerable because of their age or medical condition. So if children are vaccinated against flu they will not only benefit directly by being protected themselves, they will also reduce the spread of flu and help protect the whole population. In particular, they will help to protect those children and adults who cannot or do not have the vaccine. With the country still in recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and the flu season rapidly approaching, it will also help to reduce pressure on the NHS and other vital services.

No. As with all immunisations, flu vaccinations for children are optional. However, this vaccine will help protect them from what can be an unpleasant illness, as well as stopping them spreading flu to vulnerable friends and relatives.

Most children will be offered the Fluenz nasal spray. This is a single spray squirted up each nostril. It is needle free, quick and painless.

The vaccine contains live but weakened flu viruses that do not cause flu in children. It will help your child build up immunity to flu in a similar way as natural infection, but without symptoms. Because the main flu viruses change each year, a new nasal spray vaccine has to be given each year.

No. The vaccine contains viruses that have been weakened to prevent them from causing flu.

The nasal flu vaccine is more effective than the injected vaccine for children aged two and over and is therefore the preferred option.

The flu virus enters the body through the nose and mouth. From there it is transmitted to the throat and upper airways where it rapidly replicates and goes on to cause the symptoms of flu. Because Fluenz also enters the body through the nose it mimics the flu virus and results in a better immune response than an injected vaccine. This means that, compared with injected and less active vaccines, Fluenz:

is more effective
provides protection for longer
may offer protection against slightly different types of flu virus
is easier to give and more comfortable to have

Yes, the vaccine contains a highly processed form of gelatine that is derived from pigs – porcine gelatine. This gelatine helps to keep the vaccine viruses stable to ensure it provides the best protection against flu.

Gelatine is used in a very wide range of medicines, including many capsules and some vaccines. Porcine gelatine is used in vaccines as a stabiliser – to ensure that the vaccine remains safe and effective during storage. Vaccine manufacturers normally test a wide range of stabilisers and choose one that is stable, good quality and available in sufficient volume. Unlike the gelatine used in foods, the product used in vaccines is highly purified and broken down into very small molecules called peptides.

Developing a vaccine takes many years of laboratory testing and clinical studies to ensure that it is both safe and effective. Once the manufacturer has chosen the stabiliser for the vaccine, any change in this could require extensive laboratory and clinical studies to show that the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine has not been affected. Because of this, developing a new safe and effective vaccine with a different stabiliser may take several years or may never happen.

There are injectable flu vaccines that do not contain porcine gelatine. These are generally expected to be less effective than Fluenz Tetra® in children. They may also do less to reduce the spread of flu in the community.

Click here for more NHS information on the flu vaccine for children

Contact details

Call your immunisation team on:

0300 790 0597 – Essex

Useful links

Flu: 5 reasons to vaccinate your child - Primary School (gov.uk)

Flu: 5 reasons to vaccinate your child - Secondary school (gov.uk)

NHS website - child flu vaccine

Protecting your child against flu; Information for parents and carers (gov.uk)

Protecting your child against flu; information video with sign language