Universal flu vaccination for children gets underway

The UK departments of health recently announced the introduction of a universal childhood flu vaccine programme.^1-4 This programme will extend the existing flu immunisation programme over a number of years to include all children aged two to under 17 years.

The programme was introduced following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which was asked by the Secretary of State for Health to consider and make recommendations on possible extensions to the flu vaccination programme. Up until this year, the flu programme recommended annual flu vaccination for those aged 65 years and over, and for those in the defined clinical risk groups for flu, including all pregnant women.