As children return to schools and nurseries for the autumn term, the NHS in mid and south Essex is sharing practical guidance to help parents and carers protect children from flu and help keep them well through the colder months.
While common winter illnesses can be managed at home, flu can be a very serious illness that requires hospitalisation. With emergency hospital admissions for 2-3 year olds for flu rising 13% last year – and a 38% increase in Emergency Department admissions for flu across all children under the age of 18 – local health leaders are encouraging parents to take up the free flu vaccine as the first line of defence for their children. This also will help to reduce the chance of children spreading flu to more vulnerable family and friends.
Despite the widespread availability of the flu vaccine via GP practices and local pharmacies, uptake among 2–3-year-olds in mid and south Essex remains below national levels, with just over 40% of 2-3 year olds receiving their vaccination last year*.
While uptake in areas like mid Essex was higher than the national average, significantly fewer children were vaccinated in Thurrock (32.4% of 2-3 year olds) and Southend (38.9% of 2-3 year olds) – highlighting a continued need to boost vaccine confidence and access in these communities.
Flu vaccination rates among children with long-term health conditions – who are at greater risk of serious illness – are even more concerning. In mid Essex, only 13.8% of these more vulnerable children were vaccinated, with similarly low rates across much of the region.
Dr Sooraj Natarajan, local GP and Clinical Lead for Babies, Children and Young People, said:
“Flu can weaken even the strongest of Super Bodies. The flu vaccination helps strengthen your child’s defence shield, giving them extra power to stay strong. It also helps to protect other members of the family who may be more vulnerable, as small children can be very good at sharing their illnesses!
“The vaccination is quick and painless – usually given as a nasal spray in a GP practice or local pharmacy. For children who can’t have the spray, a flu injection is available. Some children with long-term conditions may need a second dose four weeks later.”
Illnesses like coughs, sore throats and earache are extremely common in young children, but local healthcare leaders are encouraging families to stop and think before turning to antibiotics. These conditions are most often caused by viral infections, which antibiotics aren’t effective against.
Instead, the Super Bodies campaign is offering clear, trusted advice from local clinicians to help parents:
- treat common illnesses confidently at home
- spot the signs of a more serious illness
- understand when and where to seek medical help
- protect children with the free nasal spray flu vaccine
Children’s immune systems – their ‘Super Bodies’ – are naturally designed to fight off many common illnesses without antibiotics. Coughs, earache and sore throats are usually caused by viruses and get better on their own with time:
- Coughs: Most improve within three weeks
- Earache: Most resolve in 8 days
- Sore throats: Often better within 7 days
Baba Akomolafe, a community pharmacist in Braintree, said: “Parents often come to us worried when their child is unwell – and that’s completely understandable.
“What we try to reassure them is that most childhood coughs, colds and sore throats don’t need antibiotics. Instead, we can suggest ways to manage symptoms at home and help them understand when to seek further advice.
“By supporting your child’s natural immune system – their ‘Super Body’ – you’re helping them build lifelong resilience.”
Antibiotics do not treat viral infections and rarely speed up recovery from these common illnesses. Overusing them contributes to antibiotic resistance, making it harder to treat serious infections in future.
The free flu vaccine is offered to:
- Children aged 2 or 3 on 31 August 2025 (via their GP surgery from 1 September, and participating community pharmacies from 1 October)
- All primary and secondary school-aged children (Reception to Year 11)
- Children aged 6 months to 17 years with certain long-term health conditions
For more information on flu vaccinations for children and young people in mid and south Essex, visit Why the Flu vaccine matters – Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System