Children, young people and the flu vaccine
Flu season is well and truly upon us.
Evidence shows that flu is currently circulating in our communities, with flu strains causing more severe illness than expected.
Early indicators point to a potentially earlier and/or a higher peak in flu cases and a longer duration of high levels of flu circulating this winter.
This will likely have a bigger impact on the most vulnerable populations, such as children, those with long term health conditions, and older adults. At the end of November three times as many children under 4 years of age had to visit their GP with acute respiratory symptoms than any other age group. Media outlets also report outbreaks of acute respiratory illness, including flu, in schools in South Wales.
So, it’s really important not to delay having your flu vaccination.
We are strongly urging everyone who is eligible to take up the offer of the flu vaccination to help prevent further spread and any risk of serious illnesses.
Children and young people aged 2-3 years old, and those in reception class all the way to year 11, will be offered the fluenz nasal spray.
Eligible children aged 2 and 3 years old will primarily receive their vaccine from their GP surgery.
The school nursing team will offer the vaccine to all children attending primary and secondary school.
Our school-based flu vaccination programme will be taking place from Monday 15th September to Friday 19th December across primary and secondary schools, from reception to year 11.
If you are a parent or guardian of a children not attending school, or your child has missed their school vaccination clinic, please contact your GP surgery to arrange vaccination.
School nursing catch-up sessions
Our school nursing team will be holding a number of catch-up sessions in the community over the next month.
These sessions are for any school aged children who have missed their vaccine during their school nursing visit.
December catch-up clinics
Our immunisation team will be running catch-up clinics across the Swansea Bay UHB area over the month of December at a number of locations.
These clinics will be for all eligible adults, and children aged 2 to 16 years old (who will be given the fluenz nasal spray).
Follow this link to find out when and where our vaccination teams will be this December.
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth a galwadau ffôn yn y Gymraeg neu'r Saesneg. Atebir gohebiaeth Gymraeg yn y Gymraeg, ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at oedi. Mae’r dudalen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg drwy bwyso’r botwm ar y dde ar frig y dudalen.
We welcome correspondence and telephone calls in Welsh or English. Welsh language correspondence will be replied to in Welsh, and this will not lead to a delay. This page is available in Welsh by clicking ‘Cymraeg’ at the top right of this page.