Nasal flu jabs being offered to Jersey pupils

A nasal flu vaccination is being rolled out across schools in Jersey.

The Government of Jersey said the vaccine was being offered free for children aged two up to 16 years old at Jersey schools from 15 September until 10 October.

Health protection senior nurse advisor Emma Baker said the nasal flu vaccination was offered to children in a “few painless simple steps”.

She said: “The flu can be quite unpleasant in children, and it can cause fever, extreme tiredness, achy muscles, and a dry cough.”

Ms Baker said: “Most children recover quite quickly but for some it can be a little bit more serious, so it is really important to vaccinate our children.”

She said a thin plastic tube was placed inside a nostril then the spray was given as divided doses into both nostrils, adding children could breathe normally while the vaccine was being administered.

Teams will also be visiting nurseries in the island between 13 and 24 October.

“It’s a cost-effective programme,” she said. “If we can protect our children, we can protect our islanders, then that’s a good investment of money.”

She said the government has followed the same guidelines and recommendations for vaccinations as the UK.

An electronic consent form has also been set up for parents and carers to make the process “easy”, she said, however, people can still request paper forms from schools.

The dates of when immunisation teams are attending schools can be found on the government website.