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Original poster

Does anyone know if you can pay private to have the kids nasal flu vaccine?

47 replies

Ilmb · 20/10/2018 07:28

Both dc have asthma, I signed the form to say youngest won’t have it in school next month as I take them both to have it at the doctors (eldest secondary age) and the school do it too late in the year in my opinion. Meant to hve it earlier this month but they cancelled it, was next week and had another message saying not enough vaccines so have to change it AGAIN for another 2 weeks taking us into November.

Does anyone know if you can pay to have it anywhere? And no they won’t have the injection so please don’t suggest that, I just want to know if you can buy the nasal spray.

OP posts:
gallicgirl · 20/10/2018 07:32

If your GP doesn't have it then private sources won't have it either. When there's a shortage of vaccines, the NHS gets priority.

Childrenofthesun · 20/10/2018 07:36

My kids' school was last on the list last year and they weren't given the vaccine until December. I looked to get it done privately but couldn't find anywhere that offered it

Original poster
Ilmb · 20/10/2018 07:37

Ok thank you. It’s ridiculouz, takes 2 weeks to be effective yet we’re approaching, if not already in, fly season. This isn’t a surprise every year so I don’t understand why this happens.

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Original poster
Ilmb · 20/10/2018 07:40

Ridiculous even!

OP posts:
WhiskyTangoFoxtrot · 20/10/2018 07:40

If the elder is secondary age, then surely they'll be getting the jab, not the sniff? Most practices still have plenty of the jab (they don't order as much of the sniff, as they only usually administer to infants below school age)

As you don't want to wait until next month, then sourcing the jab is unite likely to be the surer route

Original poster
Ilmb · 20/10/2018 07:44

No he’s needle phobic so has to have the nasal spray (disabled)

OP posts:
MrsG841 · 20/10/2018 07:45

I work at a gp practice

There has been a cap of how many vaccines you can purchase weekly which does cause a problem when patients are booking in

Having the vaccine in Nov will not have any affect on the during during flu season.

You can still get it free at a pharmacy etc especially as they have asthma.

WhiskyTangoFoxtrot · 20/10/2018 07:45

Sorry, didn't spot your last paragraph.

But some things you might have to just insist on, and jabs are one of them. I have one DC who really hates them and gets herself all wound up in to a dreadful state. She is however fully immunised (and occasionally bribed rewarded for bravery)

Happy hunting - you'll just have to ring round all the private clinics (including travel jab providers) within whatever travelling radius you are happy with, and see who (if anyone) has the version you want.

Original poster
Ilmb · 20/10/2018 07:46

I need the nasal spray not the injection mrs otherwise I would’ve already done that.

OP posts:
user1471426142 · 20/10/2018 07:49

I’ve looked at this as my gp is only offering it at one session on a Saturday which is a pain for us as we have plans. They haven’t been able to offer any further clinics yet. I haven’t found anywhere private near me for the nasal spray.

Sidge · 20/10/2018 08:03

The nasal spray is for all under 18s. The injection is for those that the nasal spray is clinically contraindicated, not a preference.

The vaccine is for 18+ (it’s not licensed for under 18s) so we have had to buy in a different vaccine for under 18s that can’t have the nasal spray and have only ordered very limited amounts for those that need it. We will not give it to under 18s that are able to have the nasal spray.

We also cannot give flu vaccine to children that should be receiving it at school ie YR tomY5. We don’t account for those in our ordering (which was done in January) as the provision and funding for children is made by School Health and not the GP (different pots). We are to vaccinate children that won’t receive it at school that are in a risk group, so Y6+ and the preschoolers.

Some pharmacies will offer it to older children in a risk group, if they are signed up to the service and have it in stock. It will be free if they are eligible on the NHS.

I appreciate people want vaccinating as early as possible in the season but it is not inappropriate to receive the vaccination in November. We aim to have all ours done by mid November and schools usually aim to Immunise all eligible children by Christmas.

Original poster
Ilmb · 20/10/2018 08:17

It’s just stressing me out as I have so much going on I’m having to cope with that I just want it done so it’s one less thing to worry about. They know how many children they have registered at the doctors that need it and they know how many children over the age bracket who are compromised that need it (other than kids that are diagnosed as compromised after they’ve ordered of course) so I don’t understand how they can run out when they have only had one clinic, then cancel one and now cancelling this one...

OP posts:
MrsG841 · 20/10/2018 08:26

I was talking about the nasal spray hun

Original poster
Ilmb · 20/10/2018 08:29

mrs I just spoke to one pharmacy who said hey can’t do kids nasal vaccine due to ‘licenseing’ and no other pharmacies would either. Couldn’t even suggest any where I can pay privately for it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ilmb · 20/10/2018 08:30

mrs, as you work in a surgery, would a doctors surgery let you pay privately for one if they ordered it or is it too late to order?

OP posts:
taybert · 20/10/2018 08:31

The problems have generally been with the vaccine suppliers. We’ve not had a problem with nasal but with the one for over 65s both of our deliveries have been short of vaccines, we’d been proactive in getting clinics booked so had people booked in who had to be rearranged, only to find the next delivery was short too. There’s been a lot of foot stamping and we’ve managed not to have to rearrange more but it has felt shambolic and if I were a patient I’d probably blame the surgery too but we’ve really been screwed by the suppliers this year. It’s taken up an awful lot of time which could’ve been used elsewhere. We’ve actually already ordered for next year with a “guarantee” that they’ll all be delivered mid September so we’ll see how that goes!

Sidge · 20/10/2018 08:39

My practice has had the same issues as tayberts.

We’ve had delivery problems, especially for the older people vaccines. We were supposed to have a delivery of 300 vaccines last week and they’ve been delayed 17 days so we’ve had to contact hundreds of patients to reschedule.

Similar with the nasal vaccine - not quite as bad but we’ve had children booked in that shouldn’t have been as they should be having it at school, so we’ve had to phone them and tell them they must have it at school as we can’t do it.

And no we can’t give it privately as that would be fraudulent. We also have caps on how much we can order.

Just wait for them to have it in school, November isn’t far away and it sounds like it’s causing you more angst to try and find it elsewhere.

itbemay · 20/10/2018 08:42

Speak to the nurse at your GP surgery. If both children have asthma they would be in the at risk category so eligible for the nasal spray at your surgery.

Zoflorabore · 20/10/2018 08:44

Dd is due hers in school the week she returns from half term. She's in year 3 and has asthma and this is the latest that her school have given it so there must be a problem with supply somewhere.

Forms were sent out in September and due in 2 weeks later and I think that when she was in reception, Y1 and Y2 she had it very early October.

Have you tried the big pharmacies i.e. Boots/Superdrug? I'm sure I saw signs up offering this.

Dinnaken · 20/10/2018 08:48

Dd had a letter in from school saying we could choose school or take her to the practice ourselves. This was weeks ago and we put school thinking that would be easier. We've just been told thru aren't getting them until 11th Dec!
I phoned and I've booked my 2 year old in for next week but they wouldn't let me book the 5 year old in saying that the allocation was for school or some such nonsense.
It seems crazy to not do it until mid December.

Original poster
Ilmb · 20/10/2018 08:51

sidge I have two children, one is too old to have it at school so that isn’t an option.

I’ve phoned all the pharmacies that are open and all have said no zoflora. Boots aren’t open yet but will call them

OP posts:
TroysMammy · 20/10/2018 08:51

I don't think pharmacies administer the fluenz nasal spray.

MrsG841 · 20/10/2018 08:59

Yes some will let you pay privately but you would need to check as not all of them do private vaccine

MrsG841 · 20/10/2018 09:00

There has been a nationwide shortage of flu

Sidge · 20/10/2018 09:01

Sorry I missed that your older child has asthma.

So your school aged child will have it at school, and your older child can have it at the surgery once they have availability.

itbemay not necessarily. Even if a child has asthma if they are eligible to receive it at school ie school years R to 5 they will have it there. They may be able to have it at the surgery depending on the local provision. For example in my area ALL children eligible to receive it at school aren’t included in funding or provision at the surgery. They aren’t included in the eligibility numbers so we can’t automatically order enough vaccine to include them.