Majority of Telford children not vaccinated against flu
More than 60 per cent of young children in Telford & Wrekin were not vaccinated when the flu season hit, according to new figures.
The latest figures show that 38 per cent of four to 10 year olds had received the flu vaccine at the end of November.
In Shropshire more than 40 per cent of young children had not been vaccinated, with just 55 per cent of four to 10 year olds receiving the vaccine in the same period.
The rate across England saw 47 per cent of primary school children up to date on their annual dose.
Of 17,777 primary school children in Shropshire, 7,911 had not been given the vaccine, which is delivered in school as a nasal spray.
Out of 13,022 primary school children in Telford & Wrekin, 8,113 had not received the vaccine.
Public Health England advises headteachers to make sure their pupils are protected before the winter months.
The flu vaccine programme runs from the beginning of September to the end of January.
By the end of the previous winter, 61 per cent of four to 10 year olds in Telford & Wrekin were covered, and 65 per cent in Shropshire, suggesting uptake figures could increase through December and January.
Super-spreaders
But with flu season starting in December it is still important to make sure children are vaccinated as early as possible, according to the NHS, to ensure the risk of a widespread outbreak is limited.
Dr Richard Pebody, head of flu at PHE, said: “Flu can be nasty for little children. Some develop a very high fever or complications of flu, such as bronchitis or pneumonia, and may need hospital treatment.
“Children also tend to be super-spreaders of flu, so if they get it, they are likely to infect more vulnerable older family members.
Shropshire Star comment:
“The best form of protection against flu is to get the vaccine if you are eligible, and to practise good respiratory and hand hygiene.”
Dr David Elliman, immunisation expert at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said that uptake of the flu vaccine is always lower than other routine jabs.
He added: "But even with a modest uptake you see a reduction of flu in the general community. Any uptake is better than nothing."
Last winter was the worst flu season in a decade in England, causing 3,175 hospital admissions and 320 deaths.
Missed vaccinations create flu factories
It’s a well-known fact that children are experts at passing on germs, writes Heather Large.
They are “super spreaders”, forgetting to wash their hands after a toilet trip, or failing to stifle sneezes and letting germs scatter across rooms.
And the consequences of their innocent mistakes can be dangerous, should the virus spread to an elderly relative or pregnant mum-to-be.
For most healthy people, recovering from flu takes roughly a week, but for the very young, elderly and those with long-term medical conditions, it can be extremely serious.
As such, it is concerning that when the annual flu season got under way in December more than half of four to 10-year-olds across the region hadn’t been vaccinated.
That’s despite there being no charge for the treatment, which is administered in school in the form of a nasal spray.
It’s down to parents to decide if their son or daughter has the vaccine but doctors believe it’s often considered “a low priority”, especially if their child is generally healthy.
There is a common misconception that because the nasal spray vaccine contains live but weakened flu viruses it could make them ill.
Medics say this can’t happen as it’s such a tiny amount. Instead, it helps a child build up immunity to flu in a similar way as natural infection, but without the symptoms.
Dr Steve Mann, a GP at Lion Health in Stourbridge and clinical executive at Dudley CCG, says the vaccine is the best defence we have against the spread of flu.
Symptoms
“It’s important to protect your children from flu,” he said. “The vaccination is the best protection against this unpredictable virus. It can cause severe illness and can even be fatal amongst those with a long term health condition, or the elderly.
“Flu can be a very unpleasant illness in children, but because they are well most of the time parents tend to think of the flu jab as low priority, when in fact this is very important.
“They suffer the same symptoms as adults including fever, chills and aching muscles. Some children may develop complications such as bronchitis, pneumonia and painful middle ear infection.
“Rarely a child may even die from flu.
“We know that children easily spread germs through sneezing and not washing their hands properly.
“Vaccinating your child will not only protect them but also help to reduce the chance of flu spreading to others, especially babies, older people, pregnant women and people with serious long-term illnesses, even one that is well managed.
“Primary school pilots using the vaccine have proved very effective in preventing the spread of flu in the wider community.”
Immunisation expert Dr Ash Banerjee, from Public Health England (PHE) West Midlands, added: “Young children are known as ‘super spreaders’ and if left unimmunised, could spread flu to everyone at a family get together.”
This flu season, the vaccine has been available for children who were born between September 1, 2014 and August 31, 2016.
There is no charge for youngsters up to year 5. In some parts of the country, all primary school-aged children have been offered the vaccine.
It’s also given to those in risk groups including those aged 65 and over, pregnant women and people with medical conditions such as diabetes and asthma.
Mutate
Each year, the viruses that are most likely to cause flu are identified in advance and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends which strains to include in the vaccine.
Because flu strains can mutate over time, people are advised to have the vaccine every year so they are prepared for the latest outbreak.
Dr Banerjee says the best advice for anyone struck down by the debilitating infection is to rest, keep warm and drink plenty of water.
“We also recommend people take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower a high temperature and relieve aches if necessary,” he said.
“People suffering with flu-like symptoms should catch coughs or sneezes in tissues and bin them immediately, wash their hands regularly with soap and warm water, and frequently clean regularly used surfaces to stop the spread of flu.
“It is also important to avoid unnecessary contact with people if you have flu.”
