Each year millions of children get sick with seasonal flu; thousands are hospitalised and sadly some die from the flu. We’ve set out on a mission to help protect children and other vulnerable groups from this unpredictable and dangerous virus.
With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will be increasingly difficult to identify, treat and manage the situation, hence the importance of early flu vaccination to boost immunity, especially in primary schools.
In July, the UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, highlighted the importance of “the biggest flu vaccination programme in history” this year.
The porcine-free flu vaccine pilot
While the seasonal flu presents significant health risks for vulnerable groups, the uptake in vaccinations in Luton and surrounding areas has been considerably poor in comparison to the national average. Research has shown the primary reason for this lies in the vaccinations containing porcine gelatine, which is prohibited in the Islamic and Jewish faith as well as vegetarian and vegan communities.
The National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP), (previously Public Health England) has commissioned a regional pilot to offer a non-porcine based flu injection to 10 schools in Luton to increase vaccination uptake. Read more about our involvement in previous years.
Community engagement
Working closely with Luton schools and mosques, our team have been able to engage and educate parents on the benefits of vaccination to protect their children from contracting a flu and helping to increase the uptake of the treatment exponentially.
It is more important than ever that we have effective plans in place for the 2020/21 flu season to protect those at risk, prevent ill-health and minimise further impact on the NHS and social care.
This year, the 9 schools participating in the programme are Beechwood Primary, Denbigh Primary, Downside Primary, Icknield Primary, Leagrave Primary, Maidenhall Primary, Mehria Primary, Oakwood Primary and Rabia School.
If you have any specific questions about the programme, please contact us.
