More teenagers getting flu vaccination is 'vital'
ReutersMore than 96,000 children aged four to 16 across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly did not get flu vaccines last winter, with more older children missing out, according to government figures.
Just over half of children aged four to 16 in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly had a flu vaccine last winter, with 53.1% of children vaccinated in Torbay, 56% in Plymouth and 60.4% in Devon, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.
Dr Fiona Neely, UKHSA consultant in health protection, said children of primary and secondary school age were "among the biggest spreaders of the virus" and it was "concerning" fewer older pupils were vaccinated.
She added: "It's vital we turn this around."
'Concerted effort'
She said: "Young children, along with children of any age who have other illnesses such as asthma and other lung conditions, heart, liver or kidney problems, are at the highest risk of developing complications and being hospitalised with flu.
"Unvaccinated teenagers can still become seriously unwell, and they can spread flu into the wider community, to younger siblings and grandparents.
In Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, 44.5% of secondary school age children were vaccinated, with 51.1% in Torbay, 51.6% in Plymouth, and 52.8% in Devon.
Neely said it needed a "concerted effort" to boost the number of teenagers getting vaccinated.
'A hospital admission'
Dr Matthew Dominey, the immunisation lead for NHS England South West, said: "Flu can be a serious illness for children and can lead to complications which may require a hospital admission.
"The vaccine is usually given at school, so we urge parents and carers to return their consent forms promptly to ensure their child can get protected ahead of winter."
Immunisation teams would be moving from school to school in the South West up to around early December and younger children, aged two and three could have a receive a flu vaccine from their GP surgery, health bosses said.
Across the UK, the vaccine is estimated to have prevented 52% of children from having to visit their GP and 68% from being hospitalised, the UKHSA said.
