In the coming week’s children in school years one, two and three across Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven will be offered a nasal spray flu vaccination at school and in some community clinics.

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust is delivering the immunisation programme in schools to protect not just children but their younger siblings, elderly relations and the wider community from several strains of the flu virus this winter.

Saiqa Kauser, Immunisation Operational Lead at the Care Trust, said: “Flu can be horrible for little children, and if they get it, they can spread it around the whole family. Children can become very poorly if they catch flu and the infection can sometimes result in a serious illness.

“The nasal spray can help to protect children from flu and also reduce the chance of the infection spreading to others. It’s a quick and painless vaccination that prevents children from catching flu. Even if children had the flu vaccine in previous years, they will need another one this year. This is because the viruses that cause flu are always changing. Therefore the flu vaccination is given every year.”

Flu vaccination is part of the ‘Stay Well This Winter’ campaign, a joint initiative from NHS England and Public Health England, to help the public ward off common winter illnesses. The Care Trust is backing this important campaign.

As well as vaccinating children in years one, two and three, all staff working at the Care Trust are also being encouraged to get the flu jab to prevent the spread of the virus.

Some of the staff across community and mental health services who have already received their vaccine include health visitors, speech and language therapists, podiatrists, district nurses and staff who work at the Trust’s mental health hospital wards.

The Care Trust’s district nursing team, who support people across the community, are also continuing to visit patients and offering the vaccine to at risk groups who are not able to attend their GP surgery for an appointment.