Thousands of South Yorkshire children receive flu vaccine

The vaccination programme has now been completed but there will be further opportunities for any children who missed the vaccinations in school to have their vaccines at community clinics in January.

In Doncaster 4,000 children have already had the vaccination, while in Rotherham 4,064 have received it.

The vaccinations, which are given via a nasal spray, have been carried out by nurses who work for Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust.

The initiative is part of the National Flu Vaccination Programme and the vaccine is being offered to healthy children as well as those with a health condition in school years one and two.

Gill Wood, RDaSH’s Advanced Nurse Practitioner working on the flu vaccination programme, said: “We are really pleased with the uptake of the flu vaccinations.

“Flu can be a very unpleasant illness in children and some children can develop serious complications. The nasal spray is painless and easy for the children to have. By giving the flu vaccination to as many children as possible, we help to protect them in time for winter.

“As well as protecting those vaccinated children, the disease is less able to spread as easily and so they also help to protect younger brothers and sisters, and other family members including parents and grandparents.

“Having the flu vaccination can also help increase attendance at school allowing children to reach their full potential.”

For more information call 0800 0199951.