Parents across Ireland have been surveyed to take the temperature on the uptake of the free children's nasal flu vaccine, offered for the first time this year. The results are very promising, with almost 8 in 10 parents reporting that their children have either already been vaccinated, or have an appointment to do so within the next two weeks.

The nasal flu vaccine is not a new vaccine and has been offered to children in the UK since 2013. The children's nasal flu vaccine is free for all children aged between 2-12 years and is available from GPs and pharmacies nationwide. The vaccine is easily administered with a single spray in each nostril of a child's nose. Many parents of children already vaccinated say their child compared it to a tickle up their nose.

Dr. Eleanor Galvin is a GP in a family practice and mum of four children, she says, "The introduction of the children's nasal flu vaccine should be welcomed by all parents. It's free, painless and has little to no side effects. With our nation's COVID-19 infections still fluctuating dramatically between lockdowns, alongside the effort to keep schools open this academic year, getting the flu vaccine for your children should really be a no-brainer. In fact, children are twice as likely to get the flu than adults. Children who have a slight runny nose can still get the vaccine as it absorbs quickly. However children who are very unwell, or who have a temperature should wait until they feel better."

Interestingly, over half, or 53% of parents surveyed were not aware of the increased chance of serious complications when it comes to children suffering from the flu virus. This additional knowledge served to give parents even greater peace of mind that their child was protected this winter. The HSE reports that over the last 10-years, over 5,000 children in Ireland were admitted to hospital as very unwell.

Professor in Immunology at Trinity College Dublin and mum of three children, Dr. Rachel McLoughlin says, "In this current uncertain world, it just makes sense to protect your children against the diseases that we have vaccines for and one of those is flu. We have a safe and easy to administer vaccine for children with no needles required, that will protect them from the virus that causes flu. A simple squirt up the nose and they are fully protected. The last thing any parent wants right now is to have a sick child that requires a trip to the hospital in the midst of this pandemic. Children are more likely than adults to get severe complications of flu, including pneumonia, bronchitis and painful ear infections. This is why it is so important for them to get the flu vaccine this year, when our hospitals are already under immense pressure."

94% of parents surveyed were aware of the introduction of the nasal flu vaccine to this year's winter flu protection programme. With GPs and pharmacies reporting increased interest from parents in recent weeks to get their children vaccinated before the cold winter weather creeps in.

Laura Erskine, parenting expert with BabyDoc Club says, "Since the coronavirus and flu viruses are respiratory viruses, some of the symptoms can be remarkably similar. This will make it hard for parents and health professionals to make a call as to whether a child is suffering from flu or has contracted coronavirus, without a test. As both infections are easily spread through coughing and sneezing and children back in school, it makes sense for those aged 2-12 years to get vaccinated against flu. This age group of children are also not obliged to wear face coverings so will be more likely to transmit and be vulnerable to infection."

The HSE and medical experts are keen to point out to parents that you can't get the flu from the flu vaccine. A small number of people might experience some mild side effects, including a runny nose, headache or temperature which can be treated with over the counter paracetamol medicine. The flu vaccine is the best protection against this virus in children and also reduces its spread to others in the community.

Note:
This online survey was carried out with exactly 1,311 parents with children aged 2-12 years, through the BabyDoc Club and MummyPages online parenting communities from 6-8th November 2020. The survey is nationally representative

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