FREE flu vaccinations are being offered to all primary and secondary school children
in South Gloucestershire this winter.
The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of the NHS in the area, has commissioned healthcare provider Sirona to carry out the programme.
An immunisation team is visiting schools over the next few months to deliver the vaccine to pupils from Reception to Year 11.
The vaccine is being administered via a nasal spray rather than a jab.
A Sirona spokesperson said: “Flu can be a very unpleasant illness in children causing a fever, a stuffy nose, dry cough, sore throat, aching muscles and joints, and extreme tiredness.
“Some children can get a very high fever, sometimes without the usual flu symptoms, and may need to go to hospital for treatment.
“The vaccine helps to protect children, their families, friends and the wider community against flu and serious complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia.”