Almost 2 year old not eligible for flu vaccine?

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Sorry I'm posting for traffic but is this normal? I'm struggling to trust the receptionists advice at the doctors.

DS is 2 in the beginning of Dec and they said he won't be eligible for the nasal vaccine this year because he needs to be 2 at the start of flu season. I'm a bit anxious about it to be honest, he also goes to nursery and I'm not sure if there's any little ones that are immunocompromised, plus he has a newborn sibling and elderly relatives who aren't in the best of health.

Yep. My son was 2 in September last year and he wasn't entitled to it. The cut off was 31st August and his birthday was less than a week later but they wouldn't give it. You can go private and pay for it if you really want it.

Where can you get it privately? DS was 2 a week after cutoff. I figure I may as well get it privately for him if I can.

Thank you! I'll look into the options privately.

I didn't think you are able to get it privately if they miss the cut off age as it's not licensed for use on children under 2? Happy to be proved wrong though as would really want to have it for DS!

It's no licensed for under 2's, but as soon as they hit their 2nd birthday they can have it privately if they don't qualify for it on the NHS flu campaign. You'd need to speak to a proper private vaccine clinic, I believe pharmacies only do adult vaccines.

They can have the I injection from 6months old - I believe some superdrug stores are offering to young children privately. The nasal spray is only from 2.

My daughter turned 2 end of last November, I've only just got the letter for the flu vaccine (nasal spray) now, and she turns 3 in just over a month. She's never been ill in her life - but we'll probably get her done anyway as she's due to start nursery in the new year and will be picking up all kinds.

most pharmacies do it, Boots, lloyds etc. it doesn't cost fortunes.

I know children who were days from being entitled to the new meningitis vaccine. That costs £120 so if you were days away it must hurt. There has to be a cut off, it feels crap if it's your child who missed out though.

Half of my nct group were entitled to the meningitis vaccine, the other half weren’t, yes they were a bit peeved and a few paid privately I think. Surely it would make more sense to offer the flu vaccine on the nhs as soon as the child is old enough if their birthday is during the flu season? Very odd.

We really wouldn't mind paying now he's 2, I realise there has to be a cut off somewhere. We paid for the meningitis jabs for dd as she was too old to get it free. I'll look into a private vaccination clinic for the nasal spray.