Children's nasal spray flu vaccination available free of charge in Laois

A FREE nasal spray flu vaccination programme for children aged between 2 and17 years of age is available at the Laois Offaly Vaccination Base on Saint Fintan’s Campus, Dublin Road, Portlaoise (R32 ED81) on Saturday 18 January from 10am to 4pm.

The HSE said that the flu vaccine gives children the best protection against flu and that it is not too late for your child to get vaccinated.

Flu is circulating widely in our communities at the moment and children are twice as likely as adults to catch it.

Last year, more than 1,000 children were hospitalised with flu.

The Regional Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the HSE Dublin and Midlands Eileen Whelan said: “Bring your children for their flu vaccine. It is a quick and painless nasal spray vaccine, available free for children aged 2 to 17 at our walk-in clinic or from participating GPs and pharmacies. It helps protect your children from getting seriously ill with the flu, as well as helping to protect babies, grandparents and other vulnerable family members.” While most children who catch flu have mild symptoms, flu can sometimes lead to serious complications such as pneumonia or bronchitis in some children. Children, especially young children, are also more likely than adults to get severe complications of flu.

Symptoms of flu in children can include: High temperature - Muscle pains – Headache - Extreme tiredness.

For more information about the children’s nasal flu vaccine visit hse.ie/flu 

The HSE is also reminding parents of children that it is safe for children to get the flu vaccine any time before or after other vaccines that are recommended for them like the 4 in 1 and MMR vaccines for children in Junior Infants.