Spread joy not germs in Staffordshire – as eligible people urged to get their winter vaccines before it’s too late

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging families to arrange their winter vaccines, as time is running out before the NHS booking system closes on Thursday 19 December.

​​​​​The call comes as recent data shows many of the region’s children are still unprotected from flu– meaning they could not only miss out on the festive fun, but some little ones could even end up in hospital due to serious complications.

Data shows that more than 80% of 2 and 3 year olds have not had their flu vaccine in some parts of the region. While among school-aged children, where the nasal flu vaccine is available in school (for all children from Reception to Year 11), uptake in some local authority areas is as low as 12.3% across all year groups, and down to as little as 2.3% in Year 10s (14 to 15 year olds) in one area.

The UKHSA West Midlands Health Protection Team has taken the decision to write out to education and childcare providers with information and advice on what to do if there are cases or outbreaks, to prevent children spreading the virus across the region. With norovirus on the rise, advice is also being given about how to deal with cases of the winter vomiting bug, to try to prevent outbreaks across education and childcare establishments.

Paul Fisher, Consultant in Health Protection leading on seasonal infections with UKHSA West Midlands, said: “Nobody wants to be poorly over the festive season, especially children, which is why it’s important to protect yourself and your family from flu, which is unpleasant at best, and can cause serious complications leading to hospitalisation. This is not only a terrible possibility at what is supposed to be a happy time for families, but it also puts avoidable pressure on our NHS, at a time when they are always extremely busy.

“If you’re eligible for the flu vaccine, it’s because you are a greater risk of getting seriously ill. Everyone over 65, people over six months with certain health conditions, and pregnant women should get protected. It takes around two weeks to get the optimum protection once vaccinated, so book now to get protected in time for get togethers with family and friends.

“Norovirus is also increasing across the West Midlands, as it is across the whole country. Anyone with a diarrhoea and vomiting bug shouldn’t go to work, school or mix outside their household until they’ve been clear of symptoms for 48 hours. Hand hygiene is very important, especially after going to the toilet and before eating or preparing food – anyone who is ill should try not to prepare food for others. After a bout of illness, any hard surfaces should be cleaned with a bleach-based product, and any soiled clothes, bedding or towels should be put on a hot wash. Anyone who is poorly with a stomach bug should also have a separate towel from the rest of the family.”

• Across 14 upper tier local authorities in the West Midlands region, uptake of the flu vaccine in 2-year-olds ranges from just 37.2% to as low as 17.6%
• In 3-year-olds the best uptake is 40.5%, with the lowest at 18.5%
• Across primary school aged children, the best uptake in the region is 49.9%, while the lowest is 18.6%
• Across secondary school aged children, the best uptake in the region is 40.3%, while the lowest is just 2.7%