Flu vaccination blog post by Natalie Westmacott, clinical lead for the community vaccination service at Dorset HealthCare

With winter well underway, it’s more important than ever to protect our children from the flu. The school-based flu vaccination programme is now in full swing — and with just four weeks left, now is the perfect time to make sure your child is covered.

All invitation letters for the flu vaccine have now been sent to schools. These letters include the link to the online consent form. If you haven’t received yours yet, please contact your school directly so you can.

We’re delighted to share that we’ve received more completed consent forms than ever before. Thank you to all the parents and carers helping us keep children healthy this season. So far over 38,000 children have been vaccinated against flu in Dorset. This is just under half the school age population of Dorset.

The vaccination is safe for children and almost all children feel well after having it. And it’s over in seconds, and usually children actually enjoy coming to our clinic for their vaccine. Many say it just feels like a ‘little tickle.

Parents and carers can submit consent online using the link emailed from their child’s school. Each school has its own unique code, which must be entered when completing the form. Schools hold this code, so please contact them if you need it.

You can access the consent system here: https://www.schoolimmunisation.dhc.nhs.uk

The nasal spray remains the recommended flu vaccine for children, but if your child cannot have it, we also offer the injectable flu vaccine as an alternative.

If your child misses the school session, don’t worry – you won’t miss out. Children who are unable to receive their vaccination in school can book into one of our community clinics.

For support with booking:

  • call: 01425 891162
  • email: dhc.immsenquiries@nhs.net.

And we’re running clinics across multiple locations and at a range of times throughout December and January. Please make sure to pre-book by using the contact details above, as spaces are limited.

Protecting your child against flu helps protect your whole family and the wider community. Thank you for playing your part in keeping our schools healthy this winter.

For more information about the flu vaccination, visit: www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/schoolageimms