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Parents urged to ensure children have the flu jab to protect health services

It is ‘absolutely critical’ that children from two-years-old receive the flu vaccine this autumn, the Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health (RCPCH) has warned.
Immunisation schemes are playing 'catch-up' as school vaccination programmes have stalled during the pandemic
Immunisation schemes are playing 'catch-up' as school vaccination programmes have stalled during the pandemic

While children are unlikely to become seriously ill with Covid-19 or be a major means of spreading the virus the college states that this is not the case with influenza. Some young children become very ill and a small minority need intensive care. Young children are also ‘super-spreaders’ of the flu virus which could put greater pressure on the NHS.

Professor Helen Bedford, immunisations lead for the RCPCH, said that, despite an increase in the uptake of immunisations at the end of last year, there has been a dip in take-up during the past few months. She is extremely concerned that any outbreak of, for example, measles or whooping cough could be highly dangerous.

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