Flu hits England early: Health chiefs call for parents to get children vaccinated NOW

Flu hits England early: Health chiefs call for parents to get children vaccinated NOW as intensive care admissions are three times higher than last two winters

Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated immediately after figures revealed intensive care admissions had tripled in a year.

Data released today revealed 212 people in England have been rushed into ICU with influenza so far this year – up from 75 in 2018.

The alarming figures indicate the deadly virus has hit the country earlier than normal.

It has prompted panicked health officials to tell families with young children to ‘get them vaccinated now’.  

Thousands of vulnerable patients have not yet been immunised, including 80 per cent of nursery children and primary school pupils.

Data released today revealed there had been triple the number of intensive care admissions for flu as last year (stock)

Many GP surgeries and pharmacies have only just received deliveries of the children’s nasal spray inoculations following a supply glitch with the manufacturers. 

Health experts are worried that the early arrival of the flu season is a sign that it will be severe and protracted, causing chaos for the NHS

Rates of the winter vomiting bug norovirus are also at their highest in five years and dozens of schools have been forced to close. 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE NHS FLU JAB? 

The injected flu vaccine is offered free of charge on the NHS to people who are at risk.

This includes:  

Over-65s and people with diabetes and chronic respiratory conditions, such as asthma.

People with serious heart or kidney disease, or people undergoing cancer treatment are also eligible.

Parents with children aged over six months with asthma or diabetes or weakened immunity due to disease or treatment are also being encouraged to bring them into GP surgeries for a free jab.

Other groups include residents in long-stay care homes and people who have lowered immunity due to HIV or are on steroid medication.

NHS workers are also urged to get a free flu jab in order to protect patients. 

Flu is not normally life-threatening for healthy people, and the occasional bout of flu gives better long-term protection than a flu vaccination.

The NHS is already under severe pressure and the most recent figures on A&E waiting times and bed occupancy rates are the worst on record.

The latest weekly data from Public Health England (PHE) show the hospitalisation rate from flu has doubled in a week – from 2.8 admissions per 100,000 to 4.31.  

This is twenty times higher than the same time last year. Yet just 21.1 per cent of two-year-olds and 20.4 per cent of three-year-olds have so far received their nasal spray vaccine.

Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, head of flu at PHE said: ‘Flu season has now started and so it’s really important that people get their flu vaccine as soon as possible to ensure they are protected against this potentially very serious illness. 

‘The initial evidence suggests the vaccine is a good match for the main strain of flu that is circulating.

‘Vaccination uptake in toddlers is lower than we would hope for at this point in the year due to previous delays in delivery of the vaccine, which are now resolved. 

‘If you have children aged two to three go to your GP to get them vaccinated now.’

Children are known as ‘super-spreaders’ because they tend to catch flu at school or nursery and pass it on to pregnant mothers or grandparents.