Child Flu Vaccine available now
Flu can be very unpleasant for children and can sometimes cause serious problems, such as pneumonia.
Each winter in the UK, thousands of children who do not have a health condition need hospital care because of flu.
Children can catch and spread flu easily. Vaccinating them also helps protect others who are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu, such as babies, anyone who’s pregnant and older people.
The children’s flu vaccine is offered on the NHS every year in autumn or early winter.
It’s recommended for:
- children aged 2 or 3 years – Given at GP Surgery
- school-aged children (Reception to Year 11) – Given at school
- children aged 6 months to 17 years with certain long-term health conditions – Given at GP Surgery
Health conditions that mean you’re eligible for the children’s flu vaccine
It’s important for children with certain long-term health conditions to have the flu vaccine every year.
This includes children aged 6 months to 17 years who have:
- conditions that affect their breathing, such as asthma (needing a steroid inhaler or tablets) or cystic fibrosis
- had a lung or airways infection in the past that meant they needed to stay overnight in hospital
- serious heart conditions
- kidney or liver disease
- some conditions that affect their brain or nerves, such as cerebral palsy
- diabetes
- a weakened immune system due to a condition or treatment, such as HIV or AIDS, chemotherapy or steroid medicine
- problems with their spleen, such as sickle cell disease, or if they’ve had their spleen removed
- a learning disability