Hello.
We thought you might be interested to know that today the Department of Health announced that all two to 17-year-olds in the UK are to be offered annual flu vaccinations - though the programme won't start rolling out till 2014.
Until now, only children in at-risk groups, with conditions such as asthma, cerebral palsy or heart conditions, were eligible to get the vaccine on the NHS.
According to the BBC, children will be immunised using a nasal spray rather than an injection. (The injectable flu vaccine will still be offered to the over-65s, pregnant women and those with medical conditions such as asthma.)
Uptake will be voluntary but the Government believes the programme will lead to a 40% drop in the number of people catching flu, as well as 11,000 fewer hospitalisations and 2,000 fewer deaths a year.
So.... good idea? Or not? Would you take up the offer of flu vaccinations for your children?
Please do tell...