THOUSANDS of children across Somerset did not receive the flu vaccination they were entitled to last winter, figures have revealed.

Now Public Health England is urging parents to make sure their children get immunised before winter grips the county.

The vaccination programme already covers children in reception and years one, two and through (children aged between four and eight) but now children in year four (aged eight-nine) are now able to get the vaccine – in the form of a nasal spray at school.

Last year only 65 per cent of five and six-year-olds, 63 per cent of six and seven-year-olds and 61 per cent of seven and eight-year-olds were vaccinated in Somerset.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to flu and are most likely to spread flu to others. Vaccinating them is one of the best ways to protect them and the wider community against flu.

Last year in the South West, an estimated 50 per cent of children aged between two and eight missed out on getting the vaccine.

 Dr Julie Yates, Screening and Immunisation lead for Public Health England South West, said: “Vaccinating those who are most likely to get flu both protects them and offers indirect protection to the rest of the population by reducing the amount of virus circulating.

“Flu can be much more dangerous for children than many parents realise and when children get flu they tend to spread it around the whole family.

“The childhood flu vaccination programme is really beneficial in reducing the spread of the infection to other more vulnerable family members for whom flu can be very serious.”

Flu and complications associated with it cause 8,000 deaths on average a year in England. Around 6,000 of these are people with heart and lung disease.

Reducing flu transmission by children in the community can has been found to help cut the number of GP appointments and unplanned admissions for children and adults, reducing winter pressures on the NHS.

Last year, over 1,000 people were admitted to Intensive Care or High Dependency Units with confirmed flu last winter, with 133 of these cases being fatal.

To get your vaccine or find out if you are eligible, contact your GP, pharmacist or midwife for more information. Visit nhs.uk/staywell for more details on how to help you and your family to stay well this winter.