HEALTH bosses are appealing to parents to make sure they protect their children against the flu.

New figures have shown that Bolton failed to reach the national target for the uptake of children aged two to four having the nasal spray vaccine last season.

The data released by Public Health England reveals only 29.7 per cent of two to four-year-olds in the town took the free vaccine.

Nationally the country fares not much better, with an average of 38 per cent, against an uptake target of between 40 and 65 per cent.

NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is urging parents to help protect from the spread of illness in the borough’s largest ever flu vaccination programme.

Around 27,600 children will be invited for their free nasal flu vaccine – including those aged two to three.

Stephen Liversedge, clinical director of primary care and health improvement at the CCG, said: “We are working hard to encourage parents to have their children vaccinated against flu, either through their GP or the schools’ programme.

“This year, four year olds have been brought under the schools’ programme making it easier than ever before for parents to help protect their children.

“Any wastage of flu vaccines is kept to a minimum as many GP Practices, which order their own stock though a national system, pool supplies with other surgeries in the area.

“Each February the World Health Organisation announces the three most likely flu strains that will circulate the following winter and a new vaccine is developed. This means patients are getting the most up-to-date protection against flu and this is why vaccines cannot be kept from year-to-year.”

This year, healthy children aged two and three will be invited to have the vaccine through their family GP – as will children with long-term health conditions below the age of 18.

Children in school, from reception to year 4, will be invited through their school based nasal flu vaccination programme which will run from October through to December.

The flu vaccination is free of charge to children two to eight years, as well as pregnant ladies, those who are 65 and over and anyone with a long-term health condition.

Help and advise is also available at the CCG Winter Roadshow which is running today from 10am to 4pm in Victoria Square.

One in six people will get the flu and each year, on average, 600 people die from flu complications.

Dr Liversedge added: “Flu is not just a bad cold and can leave people feeling very ill for a long time. It can lead to serious complications such as bronchitis or pneumonia, especially in the very young or elderly, which can lead to death.”

For most people flu is unpleasant with the common symptoms being fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness, but for some the disease can lead to hospitalisation, permanent long term health effects or even death.

The flu can easily spread from one family member to another by coughs and sneezes, or by touching surfaces where the virus has landed.

Along with ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ messages, and teaching children to wash their hands regularly, parents can help to protect younger children by ensuring they receive the vaccination.