All children could be vaccinated against flu

All children could be vaccinated against flu under plans being considered by the Government.

Scientists are investigating whether all children should be protected against flu or only certain age groups, Prof David Salisbury, director of immunisation at the Department of Health told The Daily Telegraph.

It comes after Government advisors called for all pregnant women to be offered the vaccine. Research has shown it can protect the newborn baby for up to six months, when they are at their most vulnerable.

Prof Salisbury said both plans are "actively on the agenda".

"We are looking very carefully at the evidence. It is very easy to underestimate the burden of flu in children, it is not necessarily picked up as flu. There are deaths from flu in children."

He said that in one year, 20 children died from the disease. Mathematical modelling is being carried out to determine which age groups need to be vaccinated and what the up-take rates would need to be for there to be a significant drop in the number of cases.

Earlier this year the Health Protection Agency published research showing that vaccinating children under the age of two could reduce cases of influenza A by between 11 per cent and 22 per cent and influenza B by up to a third. Influenza A and B are two species of the virus that cause flu.

If vaccinations were extended to the under fives, cases of influenza A would be reduced by between 22 per cent and 38 per cent depending on how many children had the jab and cases of influenza B would be cut by between 44 per cent and 69 per cent.

The largest effect was found if all children under 16 were offered the vaccine, with up to 97 per cent of cases of influenza A prevented along with 96 per cent of influenza B.

If all under 16s were offered the flu jab it would mean an extra 10 million vaccines would be needed, taking the total to more than 25m each year.

More research is being carried out to establish if this is cost-effective.

Prof Salisbury said: "We need to know if vaccinating children on an annual basis is a good use of resources and that is where we have got. We need to wait for the outcome."

In America all pregnant women and all children from the age of six month to 18 are routinely offered the seasonal influenza vaccine as part of the national programme as they are amongst the most likely to be admitted to hospital with complications if they contract the virus.

In the UK only the elderly and people at risk of complications because they have long-term conditions like lung disease, multiple sclerosis or severe asthma are routinely offered the jab.

Prof Salisbury said millions more people under the age of 65 with these conditions should be vaccinated.