Share your tips on how you prepare your child for a flu vaccination with Public Health England - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[EllieMumsnet]

Flu season is fast approaching, which also means flu vaccinations have arrived. Getting a flu vaccination can be a daunting experience for anyone, especially for young children, click here to find out everything you need to know about the children's flu vaccination. Public Health England (PHE) want to know your tips on how you prepare your child to get vaccinated against flu.

Here’s what PHE have to say: “The nasal spray is a quick, easy and painless way to help prevent young children catching flu. Flu can be horrible for little children, and if they get it, they can spread it around the whole family. PHE encourages all parents of children who are eligible to get their children vaccinated. ”

Do you tell them in advance or wait until they get there? Perhaps you let them take their favourite toy to school to use as a distraction? Or do you plan a treat for afterwards so they have something to look forward to?

Whatever your tips, share them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

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When my children were young, children were not given flu jabs, or nasal sprays. If they were, I would have tried to play it down, so they didn't get worked up about it.

We do treats - if you don't cry/ make a fuss when having your injection you get favourite tea, chocolate, Peppa Pig magazine or film on when we get home. I'm all about the bribes!

I treat it as a complete non-event so the children don't worry about it and it works for us.

I told them in advance but not too long to really think about it. I remember being petrified of injections are having to be carried to the nurses office at infant school 😂. So I wouldn’t want them to feel like I did.
I also go for injections and role model calm behaviour so hopefully they are reassured.

I took my son to the nurse at GP surgery to have this last year & he was absolutely fine - no fuss at all.
This year he had it at school, no discussion needed - he was absolutely fine, understood what it was for & just said it tickled!!
Far preferable to an injection!!

My daughter is just delighted it's not an injection and so is happy enough about it!

So just talking about it and what it would entail seems to have worked for her.

I treat this like any other childhood vaccination or inoculation. I have always been very 'matter of fact' about the whole thing. When my child was a baby I breastfed her as she had her first needles. Since then I have always just been practical. Seeing friends suffer from illness that could have been prevented is enough to be 'tough' with my own child. She has never been upset about any vaccinations.

I didn't tell DS until we were in the surgery as he would have become anxious. Told him while we were in the waiting room that he's have a special spray to grow his muscles and he happily had it done with no problem.

not aware of this in Wales but nasal spray sounds hassle free

Mine have it at school with their classmates which makes it much less of a thing. It completely normalises it - they do love the sticker they receive though!

None of our DCs have had a flu vaccination as older. Their other vaccinations we told them what it was for and a lollipop followed.

I discussed what to expect with him in advance - little puff of air, painless, may feel strange sensation in your nose etc.

Told him the vaccine contained tiny little flu fighting superheroes that will go into his body via his nose to help him fight off any flu bugs in the future. He loves superheroes so loved this idea.

My grandson is having grommets tomorrow.i am old school. I have told him every detail.he is like .? Get it over with. Xx

I’m a new member. Hi all.xx very nervous.new to your jargon.Bit I will catch up.xx

Always book an appointment early

We talked about how vaccines came about and the alternatives of not having them.

Explained what was going to happen and why we had to do it. He got a nice sticker afterwards.

I did absolutely nothing to prepare them... just told them they were having a spray up their nose to stop them getting the flu.

I told my daughter before hand but didn't make a big fuss about it. I told her it was medicine to protect her those who can't have it, against a type of bug.

I have ALWAYS told my children in advance of any vaccinations. I want my children to be open and honest with me, so I do the same for them.

I didn't make a big deal of it - I decided better not to potentially cause anxiety by building it up as an event when it will be over so quickly. We did take some favourite books to read while waiting, & then I was quite brisk about moving on once it was done to talking about the fun things we'd do when we got home. My DD was fine about it.

I'll always let him know in advance what's waiting at the doctor's - I think it gets kids used to honest and open discussion about health. I explain why he's having it, and that lots of other people have it too, including me, and that it'll be over really quickly. I also always plan a treat for afterwards to look forward to.

We've done role-play games before, but haven't really thought about it this time. She's 6 so may well remember last time. I shall ask her in the morning and use that as a conversation opener.