Seasonal Flu Programme 2015/16The Healthy Child Programme

Public Health England

NHS England

Mersey

Primary Head Teacher Presentation Summer 2015

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Aim

• To raise awareness of the National Childhood Flu Programme

• Discuss the importance of flu vaccination for children • To provide sufficient knowledge to ensure confidence for

the promotion and awareness of the issues around seasonal flu vaccine.

• To agree some key messages for staff to use with patients/residents and their families

• To identify any areas for further support

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Influenza the virus

The basic antigen types A, B, and C

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Influenza

• Highly infectious• Sudden onset,

– pyrexia, headache, aching muscles, cough, runny nose, sore throat & feeling very unwell generally

• All age group affected• Lasts between 2-7 days• Usually self-limiting, particularly in healthy population• Can lead to bronchitis & pneumonia• Deaths occur every year

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Transmission of the virus

• Airborne droplet spread

• Via direct (sneezing) or indirect contact (hard surfaces)

• Incubation around 1-3 days

• Children are infectious for a longer period than adults 5

Purpose of vaccination

• To produce the same immune protection which usually follows natural infection but without causing disease

• To protect individuals • To interrupt spread of infection• New vaccine containing different flu virus strain(s) each

year to cope with antigenic drift (slight changes to the circulating flu virus)

• NOT ALWAYS AN EXACT SCIENCE e.g. 14/15 mismatch

• Campaign usually commences mid Sept. aiming for large majority of activity in Oct/early November for maximum population protection.

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Flu vaccination programme – target groups

• 65 years of age or over • Under 65 in at risk groups (including children)

(see next slide)

• All pregnant women

• All those aged two, three, and four years old• Children in school year one and two

• People living in long-stay residential care homes or other long-stay care facilities

• People who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, continued 7

• People with a serious medical condition (at risk groups)

– chronic (long-term) respiratory disease, such as severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchitis

– chronic heart disease, such as heart failure – chronic kidney disease at stage three, four or 5 – chronic liver disease – chronic neurological disease, such as Parkinson’s

disease or motor neurone disease – diabetes – splenic dysfunction – a weakened immune system due to disease (such as

HIV/AIDS) or treatment (such as cancer treatment)8

National Childhood Flu Programme 2015-2016

• Key information:– Vaccination will be a nasal spray– This year ALL children in school years 1 & 2 will be offered the

nasal spray vaccine in school setting – Parental consent is required – Children aged 2-4 years are offered vaccine by their GP– All eligible children by age cohort (September to August birth

dates) will receive the offer– Programme will take place between October – Dec 2015– Following academic year (16/17) it is likely to increase to include

year 3 and possibly other school years in primary schools being offered the vaccine

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National Childhood Flu Programme

• Key information:

• Children not in these age cohorts but who DO HAVE an at risk condition, such as asthma, diabetes, heart conditions and reduced immunity, are also in the national flu vaccine programme.

• These children will access the flu vaccine at their GP, children up to age 18 years may have the nasal spray vaccine

• Uptake for children with “at risk” conditions is low. It is hoped the new wider childhood programme will improve awareness and uptake for these children, whose individual risk to complications of flu illness is higher

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Benefits of the Nasal Flu Vaccine • Even a 30% uptake of children receiving the live nasal vaccine is

enough to break transmission of the Flu virus. Higher rates will have further effect, a national request is to aspire to 40-60%

• Improves pupil’s health and may assist to reduce pupils absence

• Children are ‘super spreaders’ of the flu virus and by receiving the vaccine this will protect vulnerable people they may come into contact with e.g. pregnant women, young children, elderly relatives

• Staff who meet the national “at risk” criteria should also receive the flu vaccine at their GP

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Services delivering the Flu Vaccine

• National pilots of the in the last two Flu vaccine seasons have demonstrated that offering the vaccine in the school setting is a more equitable offer with an improved uptake rate and access to the vaccine by children

• NHS England are the commissioners of the providers of services which will be offering the vaccine. The procurement process and outcome is expected to be complete in June.

• The Provider will be contacting the school directly in the summer to make arrangements in advance for the autumn.

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Key take home messages• Schools are being asked to support the programme

– Such as assistance with information cascade to parents – Providing access– Provider engagement to assist preparations – (note, likely to be one visit only)

• Further information will follow in the summer and autumn

• The academic year (2015-2016), children in Years 1 & 2 will be offered the vaccine in the school setting

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Key take home messages

• Flu can not be treated with antibiotics, viruses cause flu and antibiotics only work against bacteria

• Use every opportunity to promote flu vaccination (school news letter / website)

• The viruses that cause flu can change every year, so annual immunisation is required

• Promote vaccine for staff in “at risk” groups

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Further information

The publication 'Flu immunisation for primary school children: advice for head teachers' is also published and available at the following url:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flu-immunisation-for-primary-school-children-advice-for-headteachers

For parents and staff :

NHS Choices:

http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx

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