Sessions are being held in the Wigan borough for 2- 3 year olds to be immunised against the flu virus. Flu can be a very unpleasant illness for children and getting immunised will protect them and others in your family who may be at a higher risk of the flu.
What is the Flu?
Influenza, also known as flu, is a very common and highly infectious disease caused by a virus.
It can be very dangerous and lead to serious complications, especially for vulnerable people, such as children.
Flu leads to hundreds of thousands of GP visits and tens of thousands of hospital stays a year.
Apart from protecting individual people, getting the flu vaccine helps to reduce the spread of the disease to family and friends, and so reduces the chance of passing on the flu virus to other people who may be at risk of flu.
Why children are offered the flu vaccine
Flu can be a very unpleasant illness for children.
Children with flu have the same symptoms as adults – including fever, chills, aching muscles, headache, stuffy nose, dry cough and a sore throat lasting up to a week.
Some children develop a very high fever or complications of flu, such as bronchitis (external link), pneumonia (external link) and a painful ear infection (external link).
Flu vaccine myths
- No injection needed. The nasal spray is quick, painless and works even better than the injected flu vaccine. Most children only need a single dose of the nasal spray
- The Flu Immunisation does not give you the Flu! There is no evidence that healthy unvaccinated people can catch flu from the nasal flu spray
The nasal spray helps protect against flu, has been given to millions of children worldwide and has an excellent safety record.
Are there any children who should not have the nasal spray flu vaccine?
The vaccine is not recommended for children who have:
If you're unsure, please check with the nurse or GP at your surgery.
How can I get my child vaccinated?
For more information on how to get your child vaccinated please contact your local GP surgery or local Start Well Family Centre.