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New market research highlights impact of child flu on families
New market research highlights the impact of flu on children and their parents2 in a drive to increase child flu vaccination through the NHS immunisation programme. As the latest Public Health England data show, only an average of 38% of children aged 2-4 were vaccinated last flu season1, with the vaccination coverage for primary school children at 56%5.
New market research commissioned by AstraZeneca, which provides the nasal spray for the NHS vaccination programme, highlights the impact of child flu on families – in a survey of mums, 2 in 5 (39%) say other family members become ill after one of their children gets flu2. It can take between 2-7 days to recover from flu6. For younger children, this could result in costs for cancelled childcare of approximately £100 a week or more per child7.*
“Flu can cause a week or more of illness and turn family life upside down. Vaccinating eligible children is the best tool we have to protect our kids and families from flu, but too few parents are finding time to visit their GP to vaccinate children yet to start school,” said Dr Ranj Singh, NHS doctor, TV presenter and children’s health expert. “Organising a GP visit for flu vaccination can seem like yet another chore for busy parents, but vaccinating with the nasal spray available on the NHS could help protect your child from the impact of flu this winter.”
According to the new market research, mums consider flu more serious than several other common childhood illnesses including chicken pox and tonsillitis2. The potential seriousness of child flu is supported by existing research: in a study reviewing eight years of data, healthy children under five had the highest influenza hospital admission rate out of any age group8.**
This flu season, the NHS will make the free nasal spray flu vaccine, or alternative inactivated influenza vaccine if contraindicated, available to more children than ever before in a major effort to reduce infection nationwide3,4. The vaccination programme will offer free nasal spray vaccination to all pre-school children in England aged two and three through primary care (usually through a GP), and to children aged four to five in reception class as part of the immunisation programme in schools3. The programme also offers the vaccine to children in primary school years one, two, and three, and for the first time, this year's programme offers the vaccine to children in school year four3,4.
AstraZeneca, in collaboration with education and school health professionals, provides support to parents by providing information on the national childhood flu immunisation programme via the Share Good Times Not Flu website, available at: sharegoodtimesnotflu.co.uk.
*This is based on results from a survey of local authorities' Family Information Services in England, Scotland and Wales demonstrating the average cost of 25 hours of care for children over 2 is £110.11 (which rises for 50 hours of care)
**Based on research cohorts of children <6 months; 6 months – 4 years old; children and teenagers 5 – 14 years old; people 15 – 44 years old; 45 – 64 years old; and 65 years and older