Every child to get flu vaccine in bid to prevent epidemic{uk}

[xchrom]

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/every-child-to-get-flu-vaccine-in-bid-to-prevent-epidemic-8595618.html



Every child in England and Wales will be vaccinated against flu each year to limit the spread of outbreaks, the Government will announce today.

While flu is very rarely fatal in children, they tend to be the biggest transmitters of the virus which kills around 4,000 people each year and places a huge strain on the health service.

All children aged two will be offered a nasal flu vaccine from this September. The programme will be rolled out to all primary and pre-school children next year, with secondary school pupils starting to be vaccinated in 2015.

The flu programme is part of a wider roll-out of vaccinations across the NHS. As part of the plan, a new shingles vaccination will be available for people aged over 70. Health officials say that the programme will prevent nearly 40 per cent of the 30,000 cases seen every year in older people.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Prevention is better than cure

[xchrom]

2. indeed. nt

[LeftishBrit]

3. Good news!

To clarify - the vaccine won't be compulsory but will be available to all for free.