Flu vaccine for asthmatic child

[HaydiesMum]

Just a heads up for those of you with children on high dose inhaled steroids or oral steroids. My son is outside of the age group who get the vaccine at school so have the struggle of getting him in at our local surgery each year, this is always a harder process than it should be as they never seem to know when the children's vaccines are coming in and they don't seem to be very proactive so I have to phone countless times.

This year, fuelled by frustration of several promises they were going to phone me back, I did a bit of google'ing' to see what the recommendations were on time window and found some information about contraindications on the nasal spray vaccine. For children on high dose inhaled steroids or oral steroids the nasal spray should only be given with specialist advice as it is a live (LAIV) vaccine. I had to query this with our surgery and it appears if I hadn't they would have just given it to my son. It has now been decided he needs to have a different form of the vaccine (an injection).

Hopefully other surgeries may be a little more on the ball but worth checking if your child is on high dose inhaled or oral steroids.

[Newproblems]

Boots do flu vaccinations. We went there after our surgery ran out of vaccine for the second year running. You can make an appointment with Boots online.

[HaydiesMum in reply to Newproblems]

Thanks, I don't think they do for under 18s but worth looking.

[Newproblems in reply to HaydiesMum]

Yes take a look. I am sure they do 10 to 15 year olds.

[HaydiesMum in reply to Newproblems]

Our local ones do 18 plus for free vaccine an 15 plus if you are paying, my son is 13. May very by region.

[Newproblems in reply to HaydiesMum]

It must vary by region as you say. I know I checked because my grandson who is 10 didn't qualify for it at school this year and, like me, he uses an inhaler

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Newproblems]

Hi here’s the advice from the NHS about the flu vaccine for kids - who can and can’t have them, when you delay them, when you need a jab not a nasal spray etc

nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinati...

On the boots website it says free for 18+, private for 16+ with some stores offering it to 10+ - definitely regional!

boots.com/health-pharmacy-a...