swine flu jab for all children in special schools

[eatyourveg]

The PHA (public health authority) is recommending that all special school pupils have the flu vaccine this year, even if they had the swine flu vaccine last year.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11688565

Never heard of mass jabbing for all children in special schools before now.

Is it something new or have we managed to stay under the radar?

Why are sen kids en masse seen as more vulnerable - I can see why many children might be more vulnerable but not all sen children have underlying medical conditions. LD on its own isn't a medical condition is it? I assume I get a choice re ds2

Many SEN children will have a phobia against needles.

There are not many Special Schools left open are there?

A child died (attended an SEN for SLD school) in NI today .

I will be getting dd vaccinated - she gets the vax every year, but she is medically vulnerable.

Well, it will apply in a major way to DD1's school, and I will happily let them vaccinate her to protect the other kids.

It's a SLD/PMLD school and a fair % of the roll have serious health issues and some are very vulnerable indeed. And my dim understanding of Swine Flu is it's just 'flu - unless you are eg immune compromised and get Proper Sick and then there are really very few things they can do for you. That would apply to many of DD1's classmates and though she would probably be OK, they wouldn't. So if getting her vaxed protects them, I'll be at the front of the queue.

I was advised to get the flu jab for my 7 month old, as he is prone to chest infections etc. When we got him vaccinated a couple of weeks ago the nurse told me that the flu jab this year includes some swine flu vaccine. Apparently they are only telling people this if they ask!!

dd's sn school have always advised to have the flu jab
so she will have it done(if they can get it done at school)

I know that DD1's SS did it last year, because the Head Teacher couldn't show us around on two days because of it.

To be honest, I think it is only fair. Community responsibility - how would any of us feel if our child was put at risk by being exposed with compromised health?

DD1 will get the jab.

"There are not many Special Schools left open are there?"

Where do you get this stuff?

There are 30 Special Schools in my county alone.

There are 1054 Special Schools in England (2010).

Ds's paed has always recommended the flu jab. I am also eligible as his carer. We had ours in september.
He goes to a special school for children with physical disabilities and/or medical problems So I'm surprised the school nurses don't offer it as a service.

Our ss offered the swine flu jab. Though it tends to be other medics involved who advise of thi flu jab.
My son has the flu jab and pnuemonia jab. Him and hubby were to get this last night, however we couldn't get our son to leave the house so hasn't been done yet. Hubby did say his flu jab was a combination with swine flu.
Though he did keep telling me it was flu and salmonella!!!

ds cant have it this year as there isnt an egg free version of the combined seasonal & swine flu jab and they are not doing the Celvapan (egg free SF stand alone jab) this year.
he doesnt usually have the seasonal flu jab due to the egg allergy but i will have it just incase i pass anything on to him.

No Riven, DH has only had man flu lol

ok, bad joke about man flu!!
On the other hand I have never thought about me having it to protect others!!

DS3 caught it from the other child in his SNU taxi last year, other child was in hospital for a while so effectively a confirmed case- you can;t spend 1.
5 hours a day in a cab with someone, go on to develop horrid flu and it be anything else tbh. We all caught it then so feeling safe.

It was horrible and can see how it would easily endanger an immunocompromised child.

Every child at ds3's SNU has ASD though (not how it was planned, just how it worked out) so less danger which no doubt is why we were never involved in any mass immunisation- though we're not in england either and Wales can be so very differnet.

my ds loves injections he had a swine flu jab last year and was in tears because they only gave him one injection!! hes almost 5 now and has autism, hes an odd little boy bless him he hates rain touching him but a needle he loves