Doctors at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital are providing advice for families to help keep healthy following children returning to school.
The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital has seen an increase in admissions of children who were seriously ill with chest infections, including flu.
Dr Rachael Barber, Medical Director at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, said: “We see a rise in respiratory illnesses each winter. This particularly affects young babies and children with health conditions, and some become seriously unwell.
“Making sure your children are vaccinated against flu and other conditions safeguards their health, and the health of families and friends.”
Dr Barber also encouraged pregnant women to get all the recommended vaccinations to protect themselves and their baby. These include flu, COVID-19, whooping cough and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines.
This is the first winter that the RSV vaccine has been available, and it is recommended for pregnant women and the over 75s. The vaccine is safe to be given in pregnancy and has been shown to dramatically reduce severe chest infections in young babies.
Dr Barber added: “Not many people are aware of RSV, but it can be life-threatening for small babies, as it can make it hard for babies to breathe and feed.
“I want to encourage anyone who is pregnant to make sure they’re up to date with their jabs, as these will protect their babies from whooping cough, flu and RSV.”
The RSV vaccine is offered to all pregnant women at their 28-week antenatal appointment. You can find out more information here: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/rsv-vaccine/