Dear Parent,
Flu and COVID-19 vaccinations at your child’s school
We are writing to let you know about the updated winter vaccination programme at your
child’s school.
If you have received this letter, your child should be eligible for both the COVID-19
vaccination, which is being offered in school to all 12-15-year-olds, and the nasal flu vaccine,
which is being offered to all children from years reception to 11.
As we have not yet visited your child’s school as part of this year’s school vaccination
programme, we will be offering the COVID-19 and flu vaccinations to eligible students on the
same day. For those children who have been given consent for both vaccines, this means
they will be given to your child during the same appointment slot.
We have thoroughly reviewed our operational programme options and, after careful
consideration and medical advice, have determined this course of action will best enable us
to offer and deliver protection to children from these serious viruses within the winter period.
We’d like to reassure you that national advice has deemed it both safe and effective to
administer both vaccines together. The Joint Committee for Vaccinations and Immunisations
(JCVI) has outlined that it is preferrable to offer the COVID-19 vaccine together with the flu
to ensure the protection is delivered as quickly as possible, rather than to delay – and this
advice includes school vaccination programmes. It is very common to administer multiple
vaccines at once and neither vaccine will affect the effectiveness of the other.
How will the vaccinations work?
The COVID-19 vaccine is injected into the top of the arm and the flu vaccination is a nasal
spray.
Please note, as the nasal spray contains porcine (pork) gelatine, some parents may wish for
their child to receive the gelatine-free injectable flu vaccine instead, which will be delivered
either at school, where possible, or at a later date at specialist clinics. If your child can’t have
the nasal vaccine, please indicate on your consent form.
What are the side effects?
Like all medicines, vaccines can cause side effects. Most of these are mild and short term,
and not everyone gets them. The administration of two vaccines at the same time might make
side-effects more likely, but these side-effects are likely to be mild.
Some of the most common side effects of the COVID-19 include:
• having a painful, heavy feeling and tenderness in the arm where you had your
injection. This tends to be worst around 1 to 2 days after the vaccination
• feeling tired
• headache
• general aches, or mild flu like symptoms
The side effects of the flu nasal spray are similar and include:
• headache
• muscle aches
• a blocked or runny nose
• reduced appetite
• weakness
Less common side effects include a slightly raised temperature, shivering, tiredness or a
nosebleed.
Consent
You should have already been sent consent letters, with links to provide consent for both flu
and COVID-19 by your school.
If you have not yet filled these out, you can still do so.
We will not vaccinate any child who does not have consent. We will only give both vaccines
to children who have consent for both the COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine. For example,
if you have only consented for your child to have the COVID-19 vaccine, we will not give your
child the flu and visa versa.
If you have any questions about consent, please contact the school age immunisation team
on: communityimmunisations.service@nhs.net
What if my child has already had the COVID-19 or flu vaccine?
You can now book for your child to have the COVID-19 vaccine at specialist 12-15-year-old
clinics at vaccination centres. Check the National Booking Service on the NHS website to
view the clinics available.
If you child has already been vaccinated against COVID-19 or flu you do not need to let us
know as our records will already be updated.
More information about COVID-19
Recently, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust held webinar sessions with a panel of NHS
vaccine programme clinicians from the Trust and the Leicestershire and Rutland CCGs and
public health professionals from Leicester City and Leicestershire County Councils to help
answer parent and young people’s questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. These are
available to re-watch on Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust’s YouTube channel:
• Webinar for young people (filmed 6.10.21):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcmXCzDRmhs
• Webinar for parents (filmed 28.9.21):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONewlXQy4a4
A COVID-19 vaccine guide for parents, is also available to download:
https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/COVID-19-12-15-vaccine-parentinformation-pack-1.pdf
Information for young people is available on the Health for Teens website:
https://www.healthforteens.co.uk/health/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccinationinformation/?location=Leicester%2C+Leicestershire+and+Rutland
More information about Flu
More information about the flu vaccine can be found on the Health for Teens website:
https://www.healthforteens.co.uk/health/flu/flu-just-the-facts/ and on the NHS website:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/child-flu-vaccine/
Yours sincerely,
Helen Thompson
Director of FYPC and LD Services
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
Where a Love of Learning Grows
Where a Love of Learning Grows