MESSAGE FROM THE NHS BERKSHIRE HEALTHCARE – SCHOOL AGED IMMUNISATON TEA
Your child’s annual flu vaccination is now due. We will be visiting your child’s school on
Thursday 2nd December 2021(Beechwood Primary School)
We are contacting you to make you aware that your child is now eligible for their flu vaccination. This is
something that we now offer to all children from Reception to Year 11 (and children with long term health
conditions that put them at greater risk from flu) as part of our winter vaccination programme. We ask that
you complete our online consent form, whether you consent to your child being vaccinated or not. This
allows us to monitor the uptake of vaccinations within your child’s school and the wider community.
Flu can be a very unpleasant illness in children causing fever, stuffy nose, dry cough, sore throat, aching
muscles and joints, and extreme tiredness. This can last several days or more. Some children can get a
very high fever, sometimes without the usual flu symptoms, and may need to go to hospital for treatment.
Serious complications of flu include a painful ear infection, acute bronchitis and pneumonia.
Having the vaccine will help protect your child from what can be a very nasty illness in children. Children
under the age of 5 years have the highest rate of hospital admissions due to flu. It will reduce the chance of
others in your family, who could be at greater risk from flu, such as grandparents or those with long term
health conditions, getting flu from your child. This year, helping to protect them against flu is particularly
important if COVID-19 is still circulating because people at risk from flu are also vulnerable to the
complications of COVID-19. It can help you avoid having to take time off work or other activities because
you are ill or need to look after your sick child.
The vaccination is free and is a quick and simple spray up the nose. Even if your child had it last year, it is
recommended to have the flu vaccine again this year as the flu viruses change every year.
For more information regarding the Flu Vaccination Programme and consent please click here.