Over the next few months a total of 17,000 year 7 and 8 pupils (11-13 year olds) will be offered the free flu vaccination in schools for the winter – as part of a national programme targeting more than 700,000 healthy school aged children across England.
Pupils at James Bateman Junior High School in Knypersley were amongst the first in the country to be given the nasal spray on Monday. Over the coming ‘flu season,’ pupils in schools right across Staffordshire will have access to the vaccine.
In addition to protecting healthy children from flu, the pilot scheme aims to reduce the spread of flu and protect younger siblings, grandparents and others who are at increased risk of becoming seriously ill from flu.
The Fluenz vaccine is being administered via school nurses from the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent partnership Trust.
Staffordshire County Council took on the remit of public health in 2013.
Alan White, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said the pilot is part of plans to eventually extend the national flu programme to all children from the aged of two up to the age of 17.
Alan said: “Schools are a very good breeding ground for illnesses like flu, because children don’t tend to use tissues or wash their hands as much as adults. The virus is then at risk of being transferred to more vulnerable people such as the elderly and those with existing health problems.
“Nursing teams in schools right across the county will be administering the vaccine to year 7 and 8 pupils. The nasal spray is a safe and effective way of protecting not only the children themselves, but the people they may come into contact with. We have been working hard with our public health partners to ensure the immunisation programme runs as smoothly as possible, and as many children who are eligible for the vaccine are able to access it.”
