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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Our nurse really helps saying things like ‘I’ve been told it smells like pancakes! Have a smell and see if you agree!’ Now dd is a bit older she’s a bit better about it as she understands it’s important to have the spray. I make sure I’m very relaxed about it and say ‘it’s just a spray to stop you getting ill’
It’s over in a flash anyway. It’s a shame all vaccinations couldn’t be so easy!

The bribe of a treat afterwards and singing in way to clinic both help.

I read him the book at the GP’s which is designed for children about the flu vaccine. He like the story & wasn’t bothered at all by it.

Teenagers - told them we were all off to tescos for injections.
Younger one - told him we were off to the gp for the nasal spray.
We do it every year, they know the drill.

I will explain it on the morning of the vaccine, but essentially not make a big deal of it. I explain that it isn't painful and why she needs the vaccine. Treat after - fave sweeties or chocolate.

DD's key worker at nursery had a good way of explaining the nasal spray. She pushed gently on the underside of DDs nose and made a squirt sound. DD found this funny so wasn't at all nervous for the real thing.

I took my 4-year old DD last week. I explained to her that we were going to see the Doctor to give her some medicine & that it would be “a tickle in the nose”.

It was absolutely fine & she was not distressed in any way. She got to pick a driver afterwards & was very pleased with her lot.

DD is nearly 2, I'm a GP & heavily pregnant. I had my jab at work so no chance of doing both together.

"morning DD, this morning we're going for your flu snorter, aren't you lucky! If you're a good big girl then nurse will give you a sticker, then we'll go out for a babyccino"

Cue no big deal feeling from her, and all for the price of a small cup of warm milk!

Can't type on phone. Nearly 3.

She was very upset when she came with me for my whooping cough jab hence not wanting her to see mine this time.

I'm pretty straight up with my Children and tell them anything 'medical' is a requirement to keep them fit and healthy. I don't like beating around the bush with things like this. Seems to have worked so far and every appointment is fairly stress free. Although they're quite used to it all by now with my 5 year old having heart surgery and my 2 year old being tested for CF due to rectal prolapses and descended abdomen ect, flue jabs are just a drop in the pond

Last year I primed my ds for a little squirt of medicine up the nose. We got there (practice nurse) and she said that because of other factors, he couldn't have the nasal spray and had to have the jab.

So we hadn't prepared him at all! And he was fine-so this year we didn't mention anything and all went into the nurse together. Ds went first and was a total star, so we're sticking to the no preparation method! Works for us!

My 5yo was supposed to have his nasal spray on Friday. He has ASD and attends a unit attached to a mainstream school. The team wouldn't bring the sprays to the classroom so the children were upset at a change in routine - going to the dining hall when it wasn't lunch time. My son sat calmly on his teachers knee whilst the others had their sprays and because he moved his head a fraction of a mm they deemed him to be refusing the spray!!! So he hasn't had it. What about infants flailing around and having to be held when they have their vaccinations - surely they are 'refusing' too?? I wasn't pleased. Neither were school staff.

Anyways. He was prepared by being told using symbols what the spray would entail and he got to see the other children having it done. That's as far as his understanding goes atm.

We spoke about a little bit of water being sprayed up his nose. We explained a week in advance and every so often up until the day so it was not a surprise and so hed be fully prepared. At first he said he was not going (4 year old) and we said that he had to go as it will stop him getting poorly. We also said that the spray doesnt hurt and its better than an injection (if he didnt have spray theyd have to give an injection - we knew hed point blank refuse as once hes set his mind to something he sticks to it so we had to be a bit mean in giving him the option of spray or injection even thouogh there wasnt really an option). We also bought him a lolly pop that he held whilst getting it done and then got to eat after.

prepartion is key though with our son and he was completely fine after having it done.

My 3 year old has his nasal flu vaccination last week. He took it totally in his stride, not a problem and luckily no side effects either. We had seen the tv ad and talked about it beforehand, so when we got to the nurses room I said to him about the tv ad and he was fine with it as he knew it had to go in his nose.

No preparation whatsoever . I think utterly counter productive to talk to them about it, discuss it etc. Yourjn the risk of making it a bigger issue than it is. It’s a squirt up the nose!

It’s going to happen at school. It does. It will be so meaningless to them they won’t even mention it to me (didn’t last year or year before)

My 4 year old was just so relived it wasn’t an injection, there was no preparation other than telling him that needed! Just a sniff mum? Easy!

I explained what the flu shot was for and we practised doing lots of sniffing at home. I told her that only really clever children can do the sniff jab and that if she could do it then we could buy a kinder egg afterwards. it was an easy appointment

As he has been to the doctors before he knows the layout, I would tell him that we would be in the waiting room, then go into a side room, I said that it is something that would prevent him from getting poorly, and would only hurt for 1...2...3 then it's over, and for being brave we would go to the toy shop for a brave boy car .

explain how when she gets the sniffles its not very nice is it. so there has been a magic medicine made to stop its getting worse because then she can become very very poorly.and so go on to explain where we're going and what will happen.say it stragithd don't linger on it or allow breaks to show her fear just say it.then tell her how many other little ones the nurse has had to see.how many other noses shes had to look at!how funny. and then say afterwards how about we go for a ice bun from the bakery because shes a good grown up girl for doing something so important.

My youngest just had this at school. I explained that it was a nasal spray, that she needed to sniff like when she has a runny nose or smells a flower. I told her that it would stop her getting poorly from flu, but wouldn't make her poorly now.

Nothing beyond that and saying that all of the other children would be getting it. It's not an injection, is pain free and really simple, so no need to do more than that.

dd had it from the age of four as a jab. (before the nasal spray was around). We were very practical about it, told her before hand, and went for a bit of emotional blackmail - that there might be younger children there and it was her job to be brave and not worry them by having it without making a fuss. Freakily it worked. She took pride in being someone who didn’t make a fuss. Probably down to her personality rather than any amazing parenting trick.

This will be the first one for my DC at school. I will tell them on the day that they will have a spray up their nose today. That's it.

Prepare them and explain how it will help them but don't make it a big deal especially right before they're meant to have the vaccine

I've always explained in advance what was happening. I think the flu vaccination is actual easy as my DC get the nasal spray which is much easier that a jab.

Going to the GP's office or to the hospital has always been quite positive, e.g. Both places have good toys to play with, the staff interact well with children, so my DC don't mind going even if there is a jab involved. They know it is for their health and that the pain they may feel is temporary.

Positive reinforcement and open communication have been key in establishing their comfort with both doctors and dentists.

I tell my daughters in advance and explain what's going to happen. Emphasise the no pain aspect. Special treat afterwards.