Toddlers can now get the flu vaccine at community pharmacies for the first time - how to book your appointment
Parents are being urged to protect their children from becoming seriously ill from the flu this winter 🤧
- Toddlers will now be able to get their flu vaccine at local pharmacies for the first time.
- The flu vaccine is typically given to young children as a nasal spray.
- Thousands of community pharmacies will now be able to offer the flu vaccine.
Parents will now be able to get their toddlers vaccinated against the flu at local pharmacies for the first time.
Around 4,000 pharmacies have signed up to deliver the vaccine, with 1.2 million toddlers eligible.
Appointments at community pharmacies, including those in local supermarkets and on the high street, will be available from Wednesday (October 1), in a bid to make it as convenient as possible to protect their children from becoming seriously ill this winter.
Last winter, the NHS faced a “quad-demic” of seasonal illnesses, with more than 300,000 hospital bed days taken up by patients with flu.
Duncan Burton, chief nursing officer for England, said: “For busy families, it can be hard to fit everything in, but parents will now be able to pop into a pharmacy in their local high street or supermarket to get their little ones protected ahead of winter, when bugs tend to circulate.
“Flu can make young children and toddlers seriously unwell, and vaccination is the best way to shield them, so we’re making it easier than ever before to get the vaccine closer to home.
“I urge all parents to bring their children forward – the vaccine, which is typically given to toddlers as a quick, painless spray up the nose is safe, effective, and proven to help prevent hospitalisations from flu – so please check your local pharmacy, book an appointment online or speak to your GP practice”.
How to get the children’s flu vaccine?
Children aged two to three years can get the flu vaccine at their GP surgery or alternatively, it will also be available at local community pharmacies.
The flu vaccine is typically given to young children as a nasal spray, but children who have certain health conditions may be given the injectable version.
To be able to access the flu vaccine for your toddler, you can book an appointment through your GP, the NHS app, or at your local participating pharmacy.
Will the nasal spray give my child the flu?
Claire Nevinson, Superintendent Pharmacist at Boots explained that the nasal spray will not give your child the flu, but it may cause mild flu-like side effects.
Claire said: “The nasal spray may cause mild flu-like side effects like a runny or blocked nose, reduced appetite, tiredness, or headache.
“Children who cannot have the nasal spray, due to particular health conditions, may receive an injection instead. The injectable vaccination may lead to soreness or pain at the vaccination site, mild fever, or body aches. These side effects tend to be mild and only for one or two days.”
Will this vaccination stop my child from getting sick this winter?
Getting the flu vaccine this autumn will help protect those who are at most risk from the peak of flu season, which tends to occur in December and January.
Those eligible are being urged to come forward for the vaccine as soon as possible to protect their children from getting sick with the flu and prevent hospitalisations from the virus this winter.
Claire said: "The flu vaccination aims to protect against the most common types of flu viruses. There's still a chance of getting the flu after getting vaccinated, but it's likely to be milder and not last as long, and much less likely to become seriously ill from complications of flu, which can, in extreme cases, require hospital care.
“Protection from the flu vaccination goes down with time, and the types of flu virus the vaccination protects against are updated each year. This is why it's important to get the flu vaccination every year.”
You can find out more about the children’s flu vaccine at NHS.UK.