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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We told our three year old in advance that she was going to have some medicine up her nose. She took it in her stride but did find it stung a bit so told us she doesn’t want it next time.

Getting them used to having things up their nose, like saline drops etc, can help prepare for having the flu vaccination.

I always tell mine about things in advance- what will happen and why. All facts and no fuss is the approach I take.

So for the nasal flu spray, which will happen at school, I will tell them in the morning "you've got you flu spray at school today. The nurse will squirt a bit of medicine up your nose and it might feel funny or make you sneeze, but it will stop you from getting flu this winter" and leave it at that (unless they ask any questions).

I wouldn't ask about it after school either, just a general "how was your day? Anything interesting happen?" kind of question. No sweets or treats because (1) it's not that bad and (2) I don't want to teach them that it is.

Mine have/had never had any imms without me present until the secondary school ones. I've always been honest about what was going to happen. Would talk in the days beforehand about health and immune systems in an age-appropriate way (my teens still remember the antibody soldiers story ). Would tell them where we were going on the day, and remind them that I had a chocolate lollipop in my pocket. I never gave my dc lollipops, so this was a massive treat. Depending on the age and personality of the child, I would either whip out the lolly at exactly the right moment to distract them, or give it to them once the imm was over.

Having helped at school with imms using the nasal spray, I honestly wouldn't bother with the bribery! It is such a non-issue. I'd still tell the antibody soldiers story at home, though.

I tend to explain it factually, explain why we have vaccinations and then what it involves. I don't make a big deal of it, just keep it matter of fact. It does help, as previous posters have said too, that my daughter loves playing doctors, so she really enjoys going to the surgery. One of her best days ever apparently was when I had to go to the hospital with a suspected broken foot and she was allowed to have a look at the x-ray machine. I am sometimes not sure why I spend money on gymnastics and drama classes etc, we should just go and hang out in a and e.

I told my kids about the vaccination before they had it, bit kept it low key. It wasn't a big issue.

I just told my DS he would be getting the vaccination the next day at school and that it was just a quick spray up each nostril- definitely not sore but maybe a bit ticklish. He seemed fine with that so we just left it there

It was quick and easy. I actually forgot the school was doing it until he was home with the leaflet. No fuss required!

We don’t make a big deal of it. Brightly explain what we are going to do, keep it light and happy.
We have all ours together, I go first, then kiddo, then dad. His last reaction to a needle was ‘meh.’

I think he’d go nuts at a nasal spray but he’s fine with needles.

Ours happens at school so I think it helps that all the kids are having it at the same time. Also with it now just being a spray I can just tell Lucas that it doesn’t hurt at all - plus they get a certificate which is great!

My DD remembered going to see the nurse last year so was prepared for the same this year but it was done at school. I told her I had signed the permission slip for it but then forgot the actual date! She was very excited when it happened at school as the children got to choose which nurse to queue up in front of and she was proud to get a certificate. Even though she is 7, she still remembers her MMR booster and a nasal spray is a walk in the park in comparison! In addition, the dog gets his kennel cough vaccine at the same time and that's a nasal spray. She comes with me for that and supports the dog so she is brave herself iyswim.

Explain it in advance and say it should stop them getting really poorly

I wish I could give a success story. We tried to prepare our 2 year old in advance and he skipped off happily to the doctor with his dad to have “his nose tickled”. Unfortunately the nurse droned on for ages beforehand about what to expect, how serious flu is and what side effects to look out for. Meanwhile 2 year old became nervous and started crying so she refused to administer it. Dad tried to calm him down but nurse did nothing to help. It obviously must be a huge advantage if the nurses have a way with children!

The nurse was very good. Showed DD the vax and that it contained no needle, explained it would probably tickle and might make her sneeze. She was cool as a cucumber. Def better than flu.

Told them in advance they were having their flu spray to stop them getting flu. Explained what flu is. Briefly told them what to expect (spray up their nose). But generally downplayed it and we went along and they had the vaccine and it was no problem. Certainly no bribes needed. I just treat it as one of those things they have to do.

I’ve tried to book my youngest in at the gp this year but they could only offer it during specific sessions, which appear to be on the same morning every week. It coincides with one of my working days. So unfortunately this year I won’t be able to get her vaccinated. The other is at school so that is done there.

I told my daughter that we were going to the doctor and they would put a spray up her nose like daddy does when he has a sore nose (sinus infection). I said it was important to stop us getting ill through winter. I also said that it is easier than the ‘scratch’ she had to have for her BCG (we travel regularly to South Africa). And she accepted it really well.

Didn't need to prepare him. Just relied on practically all the class doing it one by one, so he would be happy to do it too, seeing others having it done... Telling him too much beforehand just makes him worry (as he thinks it must be bad- why else are we "warning" him?!) more and build up anxiety to the extent that he might refuse on the day. This way it's been just fine.

He knows about the importance of vaccinations, but would really struggle with needles. Lucky it's a spray.

Didn't mention it til just before as I have a worrier

I recently took my 2 year old DD and 4 year old DS for this nasal spray.
I explained why we were going to our GP surgery and what was going to happen, how they would have to have a little spray in each nostril. I told that it would help stop them getting really poorly and as well as protecting them they would be superheroes and protect others too that couldnt be vaccinated. - Superheroes are their current favourite thing and who wouldnt want to be a superhero?
When we were called in our GP sat and explained what would happen and showed them the spray and how it worked too.

I just told DC1 (nearly 5) she'd be getting a spray of medicine in her nose at school that day. She didn't even mention it when she got home that night, even though she had all the paperwork to say she'd had it!

I told my three year old that he was going to the doctors and they would give him some medicine so that he didn’t get ill. I told him the spray would just make his nose feel tickly

My own DD was quite excited by it, and looked forward to getting it.

The children I work with (severe learning difficulties) didn't understand what was happening so the nurses appeared in her classroom and offered her a tissue to help wipe her nose and squirted it in quick. She took it really well and was fine. Other children at the school needed restraining.

My kids received the nasal spray at school. I'd signed the forms and told them what it was for then I forgot all about until they came home one day saying they'd had the spray up their noses. No dramas or bribes needed. Job done.

I explained to my daughter, as she was old enough to understand, that it was to stop her getting really poorly. She knows about getting the vaccine as her Dad has it every year due to being diabetic and doesn't see it as a big deal. I think it helped that our local authority were administering it via the school so she just went along with her class and could talk to the other children who were having it done and she said none of them were scared.

I think it's fine while kids can have the nasal spray as its quick and painless. My daughter doesn't like the taste in her mouth afterwards so I'd advise taking a drink with you to the flu clinic for them.

My DD will need one every year for the rest of her life due to a medical condition and I'm dreading when it will be a jab rather than the nasal spray as she has a real fear of needles