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PARENTS of young kids are being urged to use the half-term break to catch up on their flu vaccinations.
Families are also being asked to make sure their children have had all their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations.
The warning comes as the UK faces a “tripledemic” of flu, Covid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) this winter.
If parents missed the in-school flu vaccinations, they can be booked through GP surgeries or at pharmacies, using the NHS website.
Kate Langford, chief medical officer at NHS Kent and Medway, said: “Flu can be a very unpleasant illness in children, causing fever, stuffy nose, dry cough, sore throat, aching muscles and joints and extreme tiredness.
“It is important that parents make sure children are protected as they can easily spread the illness among their friends and family.”
Dr Anjan Ghosh, Kent County Council director of public health, added: “School holidays are a really good time to catch children up on any vaccinations they’ve missed.
“There’s lots of ways to book and local centres to attend so we hope parents and carers can find an option that fits in with busy family life.”
Children aged two and three are usually given the flu vaccine through a quick and painless spray up the nose.
But anyone who cannot have porcine gelatine in medical products is offered an injection instead.
The first MMR dose is usually given at 12 months old, while the second jab is administered at about three years and four months before children start primary school
Schoolchildren and other groups such as pregnant women, older people and those with health conditions are also able to get a flu vaccine ahead of winter when cases spike.
Flu tends to peak in December and January and people are advised to have a vaccine before then.
It can be serious and can lead to hospital admission, even in young children.
Respiratory infections like Covid, flu, RSV and whooping cough will strike many this winter as people spend more time indoors, the NHS has warned.
But some people are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from catching these common bugs.
For the first time, the NHS is also offering an RSV vaccine this autumn.
It is available to women from the 28th week of pregnancy to protect their newborns, as well as older people aged 75 to 79.
RSV usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, external, but can lead to bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
If you are not sure if your child is up to date with their immunisations or have questions, you can contact your GP surgery to check and to book in any outstanding immunisations.
It is never too late to catch up with your child’s immunisations and you can book appointments for missed vaccinations at any time.
What jabs does your child need?
EIGHT WEEKS OLD
6-in-1 vaccine – covers diphtheria, hepatitis B, haemophilus, polio, tetanus and whooping cough
Rotavirus vaccine – for highly infectious stomach bugs that cause diarrhoea and vomiting
MenB vaccine – protects against meningococcal group B bacteria that cause meningitis and sepsis
TWELVE WEEKS OLD
6-in-1 vaccine (second dose)
Pneumococcal vaccine – guards against pneumonia and meningitis
Rotavirus vaccine (second dose)
SIXTEEN WEEKS OLD
6-in-1 vaccine (third dose)
MenB vaccine (second dose)
ONE YEAR OLD
Hib/MenC vaccine – haemophilus booster and meningitis C vaccine.
MMR vaccine – guards against measles, mumps and rubella
Pneumococcal vaccine (dose two)
MenB vaccine (third dose)
TWO YEARS TO 11 YEARS
Children’s flu vaccine – given every year until children finish primary school
THREE YEARS AND 4 MONTHS
MMR vaccine (second dose)
4-in-1 pre-school booster – for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio
TWELVE YEARS OLD
HPV vaccine – to protect against cancers including cervical, mouth, throat, anal and genital areas
FOURTEEN YEARS OLD
3-in-1 teenage booster vaccine – diphtheria tetanus and polio
MenACWY vaccine – meningitis
What jabs do adults need?
FLU VACCINE: Over-65s, pregnant women and at-risk health groups
PNEUMONIA: For over-65s and at-risk groups
MMR: Get this at least a month before getting pregnant if you haven’t had it already
SHINGLES: Over-70s
COVID: Children aged six months to four years old if they are at increased risk of getting seriously ill from Covid.
Adults who are at increased risk of getting seriously ill from Covid due to a health condition or age will be contacted by the NHS this autumn for a booster.
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