Kids flu jab/spray

Frostytiger87 · 2021-09-01T09:15:57+00:00

Hi , will your kids be having the flu nasal spray this year , my dd is 15 years and never had it she first have any other under lying health issues

NatashaRf · 01/09/2021 10:18

Yes of course. They do every year. Flu is horrible.

PeonyTime · 01/09/2021 10:24

Yes.
DS1 was in the first batch of school kids to get it in Reception. He's had one every year since.
They have massively increased the scope this year - I believe it was just going to be Y8 and under, but think it's all secondary pupils now.
I think if everything g opens up, everyone's immune systems are going to be stressed, as very few people (comparatively) ill last winter.

TheCanyon · 01/09/2021 10:52

Absolutely, they've had it every year since they were eligible. I had pneumonia and a collapsed lung from flu as a healthy 32 year old and dh is immunocompromised.

Angel2702 · 01/09/2021 11:01

Mine always have it if they are eligible.

PlanDeRaccordement · 01/09/2021 11:04

Yes
Two of mine have asthma so they get the flu jab as the spray is not safe for asthmatics. Of course, only one is still a child, but the adult one goes every year still.

Curlymam88 · 01/09/2021 11:08

My daughter had it when she was in nursery and reception class and both times she was really ill with time off school. She hasn't had it since and hasn't had to have any time off school.

whatswithtodaytoday · 01/09/2021 11:12

Yes of course, I'm really glad mine is 2 and can now have the spray. Flu can be really serious in children, far more so than Covid.

Mojitofairy · 01/09/2021 11:13

Yes, both mine will. The only year ds didn’t was when he was off ill with flu the day they did them 😩 it was late December by the time they got round to it that year. He was off school for a week and so tired for a good few weeks after that, normally full of beans. So I will absolutely be giving permission again this year and hope it’s early in the season.
I believe it is being extended to all secondary kids, it’s been built up gradually so the current year 8 will have been offered it since the scheme started.
There are minimal risks with it unless your child falls into one of the excluded categories, which are well explained in the paperwork that gets sent out with consent forms. GP surgery clinics may offer the jab version to those groups of children if needed.
If your child is over 12 they can have the flu jab in some pharmacies offering the private flu service, it would cost around £10 or so. In case it’s the live vaccine bit that’s of concern.
It’s likely to be an unpleasant flu season, on top of everything else. So get it done!
(I will be working flat out giving the jabs from mid September. Do it, please.)

overworkedrobot · 01/09/2021 11:40

Plan the spray is safe and recommended for the majority of children with asthma. The injection is only recommended for children with severe asthma, taking oral steroids or a previous ICU admission, or if there is a flare up of symptoms at the time of vaccination. See this NHS page and asthma UK's site.

dementedpixie · 01/09/2021 11:44

My dcs used to get it at primary school (scotland)
This is the first year my ds has been offered it at secondary school but we've put yes on the consent form.

PlanDeRaccordement · 01/09/2021 11:46

@overworkedrobot

Plan the spray is safe and recommended for the majority of children with asthma. The injection is only recommended for children with severe asthma, taking oral steroids or a previous ICU admission, or if there is a flare up of symptoms at the time of vaccination. See this NHS page and asthma UK's site.

Which my DC do take oral steroids periodically and have had ICU admissions.

I was trying to encourage parents whose kids cannot have the spray to get the jab.

lawofdistraction · 01/09/2021 11:51

Yes, she's had it every year since she was eligible.

Tinkerbellfluffyboots79 · 01/09/2021 11:57

My 16 year old got it at primary then they didn’t give it at secondary I just got a letter today - he’s s5 so to get it this year via spray he’s had it before in primary school. Younger 2 get it every year except youngest was off sick last year then we had lockdown so didn’t get caught up. He is asthmatic lots of steroids etc managed fine with spray

overworkedrobot · 01/09/2021 12:08

Plan I was clarifying that where you posted "as the spray is not safe for asthmatics" isn't the case. For the majority of DC it is, it is only a subsection of DC, including your DC and one of mine, it isn't.

I didn't want parents of all asthmatics to read your post and think their DC couldn't have the spray if they actually they can.

Tinkerbell Short courses of oral steroids aren't a contradiction, it is DC who are on longer term continuous oral steroids where the recommendation is for the injection.

Pendhxa · 01/09/2021 12:11

I’ve paid for my 13 and 15yos to have flu jabs for the past couple of years anyway. You can get them in some Boots branches. I’ll be paying for the injections as my kids would prefer that, not getting the nasal spray at school.

Figgygal · 01/09/2021 12:13

Bloody right I wouldn’t wish flu on my worst enemy let alone my kids

PumpkinKlNG · 01/09/2021 12:15

Nope

DaraTheTeapot · 01/09/2021 12:16

No we don’t give it as they have egg allergy

Original poster

Frostytiger87 · 01/09/2021 12:17

We’re in London and I’m finding it hard to find a chemist that will give it to a 15 year old
Boots do it from 16 on the nhs

OP posts:

InglouriousBasterd · 01/09/2021 12:23

DD had a huge allergic reaction to the spray as a toddler and can’t now have it unfortunately - and they’ve advised she doesn’t have the jab either, when I suggested it last year. It’s a pain and means she has to rely on herd immunity - which didn’t work when she caught flu a couple of years back. If she could have it, she would!

overworkedrobot · 01/09/2021 12:43

Dara you can get egg free injections, or depending on the individuals allergy a low egg version which many tolerate. DS1 has the vaccine in hospital.

The majority of egg allergic DC, including many who have had a previous anaphylactic reaction, are still recommended to have the nasal spray.

Information from the anaphylaxis campaign here and here as well as the NHS (last years FAQs but the advice is the same this year).

DaraTheTeapot · 01/09/2021 16:39

@overworkedrobot

Dara you can get egg free injections, or depending on the individuals allergy a low egg version which many tolerate. DS1 has the vaccine in hospital.

The majority of egg allergic DC, including many who have had a previous anaphylactic reaction, are still recommended to have the nasal spray.

Information from the anaphylaxis campaign here and here as well as the NHS (last years FAQs but the advice is the same this year).

We’ve begged for an egg free flu vaccine for years but our gp totally refused and we couldn’t find anywhere local that would do it

DaraTheTeapot · 01/09/2021 16:40

They also refuse to let the dc have it as their egg allergies are so severe. We were given the mmr in a hospital setting just in case but when I asked to do the same for flu they said no there’s no way round it with the allergy we just can’t have it done at all

nether · 01/09/2021 16:51

@Frostytiger87

We’re in London and I’m finding it hard to find a chemist that will give it to a 15 year old Boots do it from 16 on the nhs

You have my sympathy

It can be a total PITA to find somewhere to immunise those aged 12 - 16/18 ie too old for the schools based sniff programme, but too young for many high street pharmacies. You just have to keep ringing round pharmacies - try the big branches of Superdrug/Boots and small independent (non-chain) pharmacies, as they're the places I've found most likely to have a staff member qualified to jab children

Pendhxa · 01/09/2021 19:55

Selected Boots stores (ie large ones containing a member of staff qualified to vaccinate children) will do a 15yo. You cannot book kids online as the right person must be on shift. You need to maybe try to call Boots centrally and find out which stores near you do it. Then you call those stores and they book.