Don’t miss out on your flu jab

Parents living in Ayrshire are encouraged to join the fight against flu by ensuring their children get their free vaccination.

GP practices across Ayrshire are providing the nasal vaccine to ensure young children aged 2- 5 are protected against the virus. Primary school children will receive the vaccination at school.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran are aiming to reduce transmittion of the virus, particularly to groups considered most ‘ at risk’ such as the elderly, preventing around 200 deaths and 1,100 hospitalisations per year.

D r E l v i ra Ga r c i a , Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Health Protection Lead, NHS Ayrshire and Arran said: “It’s very important that children between the ages of two and five receive the nasal flu vaccine this winter. The vaccine not only helps to help protect your children, but also helps to reduce the spread of the virus amongst others.”

The vaccination is completely painless and only takes a few minutes.

For more information about the nasal flu vaccine, visit immunisationscotland. org. uk/ childflu or call NHS Inform on 0800 22 44 88.