The NHS has confirmed that the rollout of the flu vaccine for pupils in England will begin next month.
It comes after the NHS announced the flu vaccination programme for adults would be delayed by a month and begin in October, with the Covid vaccine rollout also expected to begin that month, causing widespread concern.
But the health service confirmed this week that millions of children in England will still be offered a flu vaccine from September at either their school or a community clinic.
Pupils with long-term health conditions can also get the vaccine at GP surgeries.
The NHS has said it will prioritise flu vaccinations for children to prevent serious illness and hospitalisation, and to break the chain of transmission of the virus to the wider population.
The nasal flu vaccine is the most effective vaccine for children aged 2-17 years but if this is not suitable, the GP or practice nurse may be able to offer a flu vaccine injection as an alternative, the NHS has said.
In July, the government confirmed that all secondary school students in England would be offered a free flu vaccine from September for the 2023-24 season.
The UK Health Security Agency has also said that all primary school-aged children in England will be offered a flu vaccination by the NHS school-aged immunisation service in the autumn term.
Schools will be asked to work with the school-aged immunisation service to agree on the best approach for implementing the programme in their school.
The government also said that taking the flu vaccine will also protect pupils’ education by reducing the number of school days missed.
Last winter, the Department for Education told headteachers to contact their local health protection team if there was an outbreak of two or more linked cases of scarlet fever within 10 days.
It followed increased reports of outbreaks of scarlet fever, which is caused by Strep A bacteria, in schools across the UK.
