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Original poster

Flu jab for 9 year old - how can I get one?

17 replies

pianoforte1 · 18/09/2017 15:13

I really want to have my 9 year old son vaccinated against the flu but he's in Year 5 and it only seems to be available to children up to Year 4. I will gladly pay to protect him but I don't know how can do this. It seems unfair that in some areas, vaccinations are available free to all primary school children but seemingly not where I am (Bedfordshire). I've heard the flu is going to be bad this year, I have asthma (and have just got myself vaccinated) and for the last 3 winters, my son has been laid low for weeks and weeks on end with terrible colds and coughs. I dread to think what the flu would do to him. He's my one and only and I am a single mum. Any advice greatly received!

OP posts:
calamityjam · 18/09/2017 15:18

Ds is in year5 and he got a letter about flu VAX last week. It may be that it is postcode lottery type situation, but I would check again if I were you

SidesofFeet · 22/09/2017 22:08

I thought it was offered to all children up to 11 years, are you sure he can't have it! You do know that having the flu vaccine will do nothing to stop the colds and coughs that laid him low last year!

user1495997773 · 02/10/2017 13:28

Any update on this? I'd like to get my 9 yo done too but he isn't entitled to a free one. I've made an appointment at my GP's for my 2 yo next week, but they won't do my son, even when I offered to pay for it! All the pharmacies I've looked at only do over 16s. X

elevenclips · 02/10/2017 13:36

This seems to be a postcode lottery and my Y5 also can't get it on NHS.

Ring around pharmacies. Asda don't vaccinate children but there will be a pharmacy doing nasal spray ones for kids somewhere in your county.

elevenclips · 02/10/2017 13:37

If no luck with pharmacy try a bupa type hospital.

RidiculousDiversion · 02/10/2017 13:42

I've been looking, too. My Y5 dd won't get it at school (just had the letter confirming it's up to Y4 only), GP won't do it, nor will Boots. It seems very unfair for her to be the only one in the family unprotected!

Girliefriendlikesflowers · 02/10/2017 13:46

It might be worth speaking to the childs gp directly, they may be able to point you in the right direction if nothing else.

My healthy 10yo dd ended up in ITU purely through flu so this is a subject close to my heart.

user1495997773 · 02/10/2017 19:28

Oh no Girlie that must have been awful, hope your DD made a full recovery. Stories like yours are why I want my 9 yo doing! I did ask at my GP's surgery when I was booking my 2 yo's appointment, and they just told me to try local pharmacies, but I haven't been having any luck so far! It seems to be a common problem though, if only the NHS had a common approach for the whole country!

wheresthel1ght · 02/10/2017 19:38

Most chemist's will. Allow you to pay for. It I believe

MozzchopsThirty · 02/10/2017 20:01

I rang my gp and arranged for ds1 and ds2 to have the actual vaccine due to their GM having an autoimmune disease

They didn’t ask for proof and they’re booked in 2 weeks

Might be worth telling a little white lie

user1495997773 · 10/10/2017 07:15

The only place I found to do my 9yo is my nearest Superdrug Health Clininc so he has an appointment on Saturday. It's for a jab though, not nasal drops, which they said they don't do. Good luck to anyone who's still looking!

Sonotkylie · 13/10/2017 13:41

Good luck! I had to go to a private GP last year for my DS aged 10 (cheaper than the chemists in fact so not as bad as it sounds). It was a jab too. Worth phoning chemists or googling private flu nasal spray for children to see if there are other options locally as some places do it - just not close enough to my house! It took me days of phoning round to line it up. DS still got every blasted bug on the planet though. I didn't!

Phosphorus · 13/10/2017 13:48

Superdrug will do anyone over 6 months old.

Costs about £10.

Fekko · 01/11/2017 08:16

Boots will do this, and pneumonia as well. Not sure what the current guidelines are for giving these to children is though. I'll need to look it up.

Original poster
pianoforte1 · 04/12/2017 14:00

Superdrugs that do vaccines are apparently the way forward but my son hasn't been well enough to have one so far! It is a ludicrous system when you can't get a flu jab at your local surgery paid or otherwise. I've got to drive about 20 miles to the nearest Superdrug which is complicated in term time. An absolute farce! Thanks for all of the kind responses! x

OP posts:
tampinfuminragin · 04/12/2017 14:12

Try a private GP.

domesticslattern · 04/12/2017 14:16

Boots refused to do my 9 year old.
I had to try four other pharmacists and only the last one would do it for us. Free as well.
Hmm
Shop around.

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