Secondary school students in Lichfield and Burntwood will be offered a flu vaccination this winter as part of a national pilot scheme.

Children aged 11 to 13 will be offered the vaccine in the programme which will target 700,000 youngsters in a bid to reduce the spread of flu.

Cllr Mark Sutton, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Support Member for public health, said the pilot is part of plans to eventually extend the national flu programme to all children from the aged of two.

“A bout of flu can be very serious for the elderly and for people with existing health problems in particular and the nasal spray is a safe and effective way of protecting not only the children themselves, but the people they may come into contact with.”

The Staffordshire programme of vaccinations will help the Department of Health decide the best way to introduce school-age vaccinations across the UK in the future.

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