Children in the Wee County will be offered the free flu vaccine as childhood vaccination programme gets under way for five-11 year olds in Scotland.

Around 400,000 primary school pupils across the country will be offered the vaccination this autumn.

The flu vaccination programme for children was introduced last year and resulted in more Scots than ever before receiving the best defence against flu.

Parents of primary school children are being encouraged to look out for their child’s consent form which will be sent home in their school bag at the start of the autumn term, and are being asked to return it within seven days.

The flu vaccination offers children the best defence against flu this winter, and the vaccine itself is a simple nasal spray that’s quick to administer, easily absorbed and pain free.

With children being up to three times more likely to be ill with flu than adults, it is important to protect youngsters from the dangers of flu and reduce the risk of flu being spread to others.

The Scottish childhood flu immunisation programme, which involves the vaccine being offered to approximately 550,000 2-11 year olds, is expected to eventually prevent an estimated additional 200 deaths per year and 1,100 hospitalisations from flu.

Dr Nicola Steedman, acting deputy chief medical officer, said: “Flu can hit children hard, which is why we’re appealing to parents who have children of primary school age to look out for the flu vaccination consent forms which will be arriving home in school bags from the start of the new term.

“Even healthy children can become seriously ill from flu and the vaccine not only helps protect them, but it also helps stop the spread of the virus.

“I’d like to reassure parents that the vaccine has an excellent safety record and was administered to more than a quarter of a million children in Scotland last year. Even if your child received the vaccination last year, it’s important they get it again this autumn as flu viruses can change over time.

“The programme will protect more people than ever before from flu which is why it is important that parents who want to protect their child from flu return the consent forms. We want all children in Scotland to be covered and the vaccine simply offers the best defence against flu this winter.” Find out more about the flu vaccine for children at immunisationscotland.org.uk/childflu or call the NHS inform helpline on 0800 22 44 88.