Winter flu vaccine for children available from today

The HSE is encouraging parents of children aged 2-17 years to avail of the free nasal spray flu vaccine this winter, which is available from GPs and pharmacies.

The nasal spray flu vaccine gives children the best protection from flu, while the regular flu vaccine will help protect others, including siblings, parents, grandparents and those who are vulnerable.

Participating GPs or pharmacists will give the nasal vaccine to children by spraying it once into each of the child’s nostrils.

Dr Aparna Keegan, specialist in public health medicine and flu lead at the HSE National Immunisation Office said flu is a serious illness that “can be dangerous in children too.”

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“The nasal spray flu vaccine is a very safe and effective vaccine and helps your child’s immune system produce antibodies that fight infection. It cannot give your child the flu. If your child has had the flu vaccine and they come into contact with flu virus, these antibodies will help them fight the flu and reduce the risk of getting sick or needing to go to hospital,” she said.

Children are twice as likely as adults to catch flu and getting your child vaccinated was “the best way to protect them against flu this winter, and help reduce the spread of flu to others too,” Dr Keegan added.

The nasal flu vaccine was also the recommended vaccine for children who may have chronic health conditions. If it is not possible for them to get the nasal flu vaccine, they can get the flu injection instead.

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly said he was “delighted to see the flu vaccine has been made available free of charge” to all children aged 2 to 17.

“The flu vaccine is a key measure in protecting the community and our health services over the winter months. I would like to encourage all those who are eligible to get the flu vaccine to do so as soon as possible; and I would like to take this opportunity to encourage parents with children within this age range to get their children vaccinated against the flu this year,” he said.

The HSE will be hoping for a better uptake with the vaccine than previously. In 2020, 600,000 doses were purchased for children in Ireland, but 120,000 doses were eventually destroyed after the uptake rate was lower than anticipated.

While most children who catch flu have mild symptoms, flu can sometimes lead to serious complications such as pneumonia or bronchitis in some children.

In Ireland, between 2009 and 2019, the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) reported that 4,750 children needed hospital treatment because of complications of flu. 183 of these were admitted to intensive care and 41 children died.

Symptoms of flu in children include high temperature, muscle pains, headache and fatigue.

To see what vaccines are recommended for your child, visit www.hse.ie, call HSELive on 1800 700 700 or talk to a participating GP or Pharmacy.