HEALTH experts are urging Halton parents to ensure their young children are booked in for a flu vaccine.

NHS England says children aged two, three and four should be immunised to protect themselves and other people.

Dr Kieran Murphy, Merseyside medical director at NHS England, said: “The flu vaccine will not only help to protect your child from getting flu, it also stops the disease spreading from them to their family, carers and the wider population.

“Children are good at spreading flu, because they tend to sneeze everywhere and don't use tissues properly or wash their hands.

“Vaccinating them may also protect others that are vulnerable to flu such as babies, older people, pregnant women and people with serious long-term illnesses.”

Doctors say flu can be very unpleasant for children. They have the same symptoms as adults – including fever, chills, aching muscles, headache, stuffy nose, dry cough and sore throat lasting up to a week.

Some children develop a very high fever or complications of flu such as bronchitis, pneumonia and painful middle ear infection. They may need hospital treatment, and very occasionally a child may die from flu.

For children with long-term health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease or lung disease, getting flu can be very serious as they are more at risk of developing serious complications.

If you have not yet been contacted by your GP or your child’s school, talk to your GP, practice nurse or your child’s school nurse.

The flu vaccine can be booked quickly and easily and will protect them over the winter months.