Doctors Urge Parents To Get Kids Vaccinated For Flu

A group of prominent doctors are urging parents to allow their kids to have the flu vaccination, saying we could have one of the worst flu seasons ever encountered in the UK.

It's due to people being more susceptible to the illness this year as a result of the pandemic.

The Government’s ambition is to immunise 70% of eligible children against flu this year but data shows rates are likely to fall short.

The doctors, Dr Ranj Singh, Dr Philippa Kaye, Dr Nighat Arif, Dr Punam Krishan and Dr Stephanie Jen Chyi Ooi who regularly appear in the media, are calling for eligible children to get the free nasal spray flu vaccine offered by the NHS childhood flu vaccination programme through schools and GPs.

The Academy of Medical Sciences reported that respiratory illness, such as flu, could hit very high levels of infection this winter, causing severe strain on the NHS and potentially between 15,000 and 60,000 deaths.

Reduced levels of immunity to flu are expected because of drastically lower cases of the virus last season (as a result of mask-wearing, physical and social distancing, and restricted international travel), leaving more people vulnerable to infection this season.

To help reduce pressure on the health and social care system, the Government announced that they were extending the flu childhood vaccination programme to all children aged 2 to 15 years (on 31 August 2021), and to children clinically at risk from 6 months to 17 years old.

Eligible children of 2 years and older can receive a free nasal spray flu vaccination, given as a single spray in each nostril.

About childhood flu

• Flu can result in respiratory complications and even hospitalisation, particularly for children under five years of age.
• In fact children under the age of five have the highest rate of hospital admissions due to flu of any age group.
• Additionally, children are very good at spreading flu because they generally do not use tissues properly or wash their hands, and also stay infectious for longer than adults.
• The flu vaccine can provide protection to the children who receive the vaccine and reduce transmission of flu to family, friends and more vulnerable members of the community.
• Vaccinating children against flu not only protects them and their loved ones – it will also reduce the spread of flu and relieve pressure on the NHS, hospitals and emergency care services, particularly at a time when cases of COVID-19 could be higher.

The flu vaccine is made by AstraZenica. The drug company commissioned COMRES to gather data on how many parents are planning to vaccinate their children - 61%, which falls short of the governments drive to vaccinate 70%, thus kickstarting the drive to vaccinate children.

This media alert to vaccinate children was produced by AstraZenica. They have been approached and asked how much money they stand to make from providing flu jabs this winter.