Vaccine pop-ups aim to fight flu ‘wildfire’ among children

A series of vaccination pop-up sites have been launched in fire stations and other community spaces this half term in a bid to tackle a ‘worrying increase’ in flu among children.

England’s chief nursing officer (CNO) Duncan Burton has urged parents to check their child’s options for flu vaccination ‘as soon as possible’, warning flu has ‘hit us early this year’.

NHS England has opened a range of community catch-up clinics, run by NHS teams, for school-aged children who may have missed out on receiving a jab while at school.

Pop-up sites include fire stations, bowling alleys, football pitches, libraries and sports halls and will be open throughout the October half term.

Announcing the vaccine pop-ups, Mr Burton warned flu can ‘spread like wildfire’ and urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated before returning to school.

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A ‘worrying’ trend

Mr Burton said: ‘It is hugely concerning that flu has hit us early this year, with a worrying increase among children.

‘Flu can spread like wildfire across schools and can make children really unwell.’

He added: ‘The virus changes each year, so vaccination remains the best way to shield your child from getting seriously ill.’

The chief nurse’s comments echo concerns he also raised the UK Covid Inquiry at the start of this month, where he said he was ‘terrified’ about falling vaccination rates and rising vaccine hesitancy.

Many school-aged children have received their flu vaccinations at school, but NHS England said teams were making getting the jab ‘as easy as possible’ through its new pop-ups.

School-aged children with certain health conditions and two- and three-year-olds can also get vaccinated at their local GP practice, with parents of eligible pre-schoolers also able to drop-in to their local pharmacy to get their child vaccinated for the first time ever.

UKHSA warnings

The efforts to improve vaccine uptake comes after UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data showed flu cases and hospitalisations are on the rise, with transmission a particular risk among school-aged children.

The NHS rolled out flu vaccinations for children and pregnant women at the start of September.

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Over 10 million vaccines have been delivered since the vaccine campaign began, including to almost one and a half million school-aged children and more than 300,000 eligible two- and three-year-olds.

Health minister Stephen Kinnock also urged parents to get their child vaccinated against the flu.

‘Please make use of the dedicated teams offering catch-up sessions close to home to protect yourself, your family and our NHS as we enter winter,’ Mr Kinnock said.

Flu vaccines are currently available for everyone aged 65 and over, under 65s in clinical risk groups, care home residents and carers, pregnant women, close contacts of those who are immunosuppressed and frontline health and social care workers, alongside children.

Anyone aged 75 or older, those with a weakened immune system or those living in older adult care homes are also eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine this year, following the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s recommendation.

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A new NHS service enabling community pharmacies to administer flu vaccinations to children aged two to three years was launched as a one-season trial from October 1.

Last month, the UKHSA warned that a significant proportion of children who returned to school in England this year did not receive their pre-school booster jab.

From January, children across England will be offered the chickenpox vaccine for the first time from 2026 as part of the routine childhood immunisation schedule.