Flu vaccine for under twos?

[notanoctopus]

I'm a bit confused - info states flu v dangerous for under fives, but then says only offered to kids 2+ unless underlying conditions? I know under twos can't have the nasal spray, but can have injection. Is this just a cost thing in which case I can go private, or is it a safety thing? Struggling to find a trusted source of info - can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks

[dementedpixie]

I think under 2s get worse side effects from the nasal vaccine so would get the injection instead. The nasal one is a live vaccine whereas the injection isn't

[Penny31]

So what’s the reason for not giving the injection to under 2s? I’d be interested to know because if it’s a cost thing, I too would pay to get my almost 2 year old vaccinated. I wonder if it’s safety related though

[dementedpixie]

Don't know why it isn't offered to under 2s. They can get the inactive injection from 6 months but don't know under what circumstances it would be given

[dementedpixie]

Looks like you need to be in a high risk group to get injection at 6months - 2years

Long-term conditions that qualify for the NHS flu vaccine include:

serious breathing problems, such asasthmaneeding steroid inhaler or tablets
serious heart conditions
diabetes
kidney or liver disease
weakened immune system as a result of a condition or treatment with medicines such assteroid tabletsorchemotherapy
problems with the spleen, for example,sickle cell disease, or the spleen has been removed
learning disability
problems with the nervous system, such ascerebral palsy

[notanoctopus]

I guess I want to know if the reason only high risk under 2s get the vaccination is a safety reason (but less risk overall than an under two with a high risk condition catching flu) or cost (I.e. 6ms to 2y/olds should get vaccine if possible, but NHS is unable to fund).

Vaccines are a bit of a post code lottery anyway. However, it would be good if govt just had some transparent advice on vaccines, even just saying whether certain vaccines were recommended or not and whether they were funded/not funded/funded according to certain factors etc.

[weepingwillow22]

I was wondering this too. It is given to the 6 month+ group in the US so I don't think it is a safety issue.

[BritInAus]

Also given to 6 months plus in Australia. Just two doses needed in first year, then a yearly vaccination in subsequent years.

[notanoctopus]

Sounds more like a funding issue then?

[mindutopia]

It's a balance of benefit to cost to limited supply. If there were enough under 2s getting seriously ill from flu that could be prevented with vaccination, it would be offered. But there aren't unlimited supplies of vaccines (in any country, not just the UK). So it's greater benefit to the whole to prioritise people who actually need them, these are older people, people with longterm health conditions, and children in institutional settings (by this I mean, school). Most under 2s are not in full-time childcare in the UK with 30 other children to a room, so the risk of them getting flu and passing it on is reduced. It's not so much a 'cost' thing as putting vaccines where they are needed most.

There isn't this sort of prioritisation of flu vaccine for the most vulnerable in say the US (if you want a vaccine, you can just buy it, and you have to buy it and you have to do it privately in your own time, not at school). The US has a lot of flu deaths and serious hospitalisations each year.

[notanoctopus]

Hadn't thought about the institutional setting aspect

[SoUtterlyGroundDown]

I was thinking about this as DS won’t qualify (2 in December). As he’s not currently in nursery (or doing anything much really as no toddler groups have restarted in my area) I figured he’d be protected by the rest of us having in (older DC will get it at school and DH and I are paying to have it).