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Flu is a severe infection caused by a virus. The flu virus infects your lungs and upper airways.
Flu affects people of all ages. In some people, flu can cause serious complications such as pneumonia. Young children may also develop gastrointestinal symptoms e.g. vomiting and diarrhoea. Symptoms can last for up to one week.
Children are twice as likely as adults to catch flu and can spread flu easily. Young children, in particular, are more likely than adults to be very sick from flu.
Each flu season approx. 10% of all children under the age of 15 will need to attend their GP because of Flu. There were 1,092 children aged 0-14 years hospitalised with flu infection between October 2023 and mid-May 2024.
Vaccinating children protects them – and their siblings, parents, grandparents. Vaccination is the best way to protect them from serious illness.
To this end a number of walk-in clinics will be operating in Donegal offering nasal flu vaccine to children free of charge. The nasal flu vaccine is available for all children aged 2-17 years.
The flu vaccine for children is given as a spray up the nose. A quick and painless spray is put in each nostril. Children can breathe normally and many of them report that it tickles when being given.
Parents / guardians must consent to vaccination of 2-17 year olds at the time of vaccination and a parent/guardian must accompany all 2-17 year olds. Please bring the child’s PPSN with you to their appointment.
A clinic will be held in Donegal at the following time:
The nasal flu vaccine is also available free of charge from participating GP practices and pharmacies. Visit hse.ie and search for flu finder to find an appointment near you.
Sinead McConnell, HSE Vaccination Lead Community Services Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo said “Flu is currently circulating and very active in our communities. It can make not only children very ill, but people of all ages. We are inviting parents/guardians to bring their child to any of our walk in clinics at the time above to avail of their free vaccine.”
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