All children aged 2 and17 can get free flu vaccine. Same remains still available in Ireland for children aged 2-17 and is given as a spray up the nose, with no need for an injection. It remains a safe, easy and pain free way to help protect children against flu this winter.
The flu vaccine will also help to reduce the spread of flu to others such as siblings, parents, teachers at high risk of flu complications (e.g. pregnant or long-term health conditions) and grandparents.
Flu Vaccination Clinics.
A number of community vaccination centres across the country are now offering ‘children’s walk-in flu vaccination clinics’ with no appointments necessary and with the vaccine free of charge. The full schedule of clinics, to date, is available HERE.
Alas, for reasons best known to the HSE, no community vaccination centre has been allocated to Co. Tipperary and indeed as yet only 13 counties within the Republic’s 26 counties, are benefitting from the free service.
However, on further investigation we find one pharmacy, namely Boots Pharmacy, No.26 – No.29 Thurles Shopping Centre, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, offering the service. See HSE website HERE. (Pharmacy Contact Tel. Number 0504 24594.)
The HSE have set up these additional walk-in flu vaccination clinics in the afore mentioned age group,;in response to the rising numbers of flu cases in children as well as the significant number of children who have been hospitalised by the virus this winter; together with very low vaccination rates.
The nasal spray flu vaccine is only available until Monday, January 23rd and after this date, we are informed by the HSE, that only children with medical conditions, which put them at risk of serious illness from flu, will be able to get a flu vaccine, given as an injection.
Flu can be serious when contracted by children
Children are twice as likely to catch flu as adults. While most children who get the flu will have mild symptoms, some children can get complications, such as pneumonia or bronchitis and may need to go to hospital. Children, especially younger children, are also more likely than adults to contract severe complications
Flu can cause serious illness in children, and children with chronic health conditions are most at risk of severe complications of flu.
Children also carry the flu virus in their system, much longer than adults and they can spread the virus easily to other children, like those in day-care centres and schools, and to older and vulnerable people around them. The flu vaccine therefore offers children the best protection against the virus.
It therefore follows, that the HSE are encouraging parents to avail of this opportunity to vaccinate their children against flu, as same continues to spread and is likely to continue circulating within communities further, for a number of weeks.
You can find out more about the free nasal flu vaccine for children HERE.
VERY NICE