Children’s Flu vaccination campaign launched for nursery and school pupils

Mersey Care has launched a major flu vaccination campaign to help protect children across the region this winter. The flu vaccine remains the best protection against the virus for children and helps reduce the spread of illness in schools, nurseries, and our community.

All children aged two to three years old on the 31 August 2025 are eligible for the nasal flu vaccine, which can be accessed through their GP, local pharmacy, or local authority nursery school.

Children from Reception through to Year 11 will also be offered the vaccine through school. Parents and carers will receive a secure link from their child’s school to complete an online consent form. This allows families to:

• Choose the nasal flu vaccine (which offers the best protection)
• Request the injectable flu porcine-free vaccine, if required
• Opt out of the vaccination if they do not wish their child to receive it.

Health leaders are stressing the importance of parents and carers completing the form promptly, even if they do not want their child vaccinated. This ensures the immunisation team understands their wishes, avoids unnecessary reminder calls and text messages, and allows the service to be delivered safely and efficiently.

Parents are also being urged to check that their contact details are up to date with their child’s school so they can receive the consent link without delay.

For families who cannot access the online form, paper consent forms are available from schools. Alternatively, the immunisation team can provide support (see image below).

If your child has an underlying health condition, you can also contact the team to arrange a clinic appointment. This helps ensure they are protected as early as possible in the flu campaign.

For more information on the children’s flu vaccine, visit the official NHS webpage.