Parents of two, three and four year old children in Stockport are being urged to protect them from flu this winter.
Stockport Council, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group, have contacted Health Visitors and GPs to remind parents that influenza viruses start to spread at this time of year.
A child aged two, three and four on September 1st 2014 can be protected with the nasal influenza vaccine provided by the Department of Health and available free through GPs.
The nasal flu vaccine is painless and simple to administer – there is no injection. About one in 10 children may experience a minor runny nose for a day or two following the vaccination.
Councillor John Pantall, Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Health and Well Being, said:
“It is a very safe vaccine. It may also have the added benefit of stopping children spreading flu to any vulnerable family members such as elderly relatives or young babies with whom they have contact. The protection doesn’t stop coughs and colds but is very effective at preventing flu, an illness that can be severe and sadly sometimes life-threatening.”
Parents who haven’t vaccinated their children – or if you are in an ‘at risk’ category such as an expectant mother and haven’t had the free vaccine – contact your GP as soon as possible – pregnancy makes you more susceptible to flu putting you and your unborn baby at risk
For further information about the flu vaccine and for a list of the other at risk groups that are recommended to have the vaccine visit www.stockport.gov.uk/fluvaccinations