Primary school pupils promote importance of nasal spray flu vaccine in new TikTok videos

Primary school children have joined forces with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to promote the importance of the nasal spray flu vaccine.

Every year the Cardiff and Vale School Nursing Immunisation Team visits all primary and secondary schools across the region to administer the vaccine to children between Reception and Year 11.

Parents and carers are urged to look out for consent forms from their child’s school, along with the cut-off date for submitting the form. However, any late forms submitted will be offered an appointment at a community catch-up clinic. 

To help put parents and children at ease about the vaccination, pupils at Ysgol Glan Ceubal in Gabalfa, Cardiff, worked with the Health Board to produce two short videos for TikTok and Facebook explaining the simple process.   

One of the videos included school immunisation nurse Ceren Brett who outlined the “five reasons why the nasal spray flu vaccine is the LEAST scary thing about Halloween”. You can watch the video by going to the official Cardiff and Vale UHB Facebook and TikTok accounts.

“The nasal spray vaccine is the best vaccine for children. It’s painless, and it’s just one spray up each nostril – easy peasy,” she said in the video. “We’re also a team of trained nurses and we’ll put every child at ease.

“The flu vaccine can reduce the risk of serious complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia. It also protects vulnerable people around you including babies, pregnant women and older people.

“And the best part of it all is that all those who get a vaccine in school will be offered a sticker – and who doesn’t love a sticker?”

The Ysgol Glan Ceubal pupils involved in the filming described the vaccine as “really quick” and “just a bit ticklish”, and praised the immunisation nurses for their kind and caring nature.

The Winter Respiratory Vaccination Programme (WRVP) for 2024/25 was launched in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan in September 2024. 

School immunisation nurse, Ceren Brett

The full list of eligible groups for the free flu vaccine is as follows:

·    Children aged two and three years on 31 August, 2024   

·    Children in primary school from reception class to year 6 (inclusive)    

·    Children in secondary school from year 7 to year 11 (inclusive)     

·    People aged six months to 64 years in clinical risk groups     

·    People aged 65 years and older (age on 31 March, 2024)     

·    Pregnant women    

·    Carers aged 16 and over   

·    People aged 6 months to 65 years who live with someone who has a weakened immune system     

·    People with a learning disability    

·    Frontline health and social care workers    

·    All staff working in care homes with regular client contact  

Aside from school pupils, all eligible people will be invited to receive their flu vaccinations at either their GP Practice, local pharmacy or nearest community vaccination clinic.

The nasal spray flu vaccine contains traces of highly-purified porcine gelatine which are also used in a range of essential medicines. However, flu injections are gelatine-free, so if parents would prefer their child to have this as an alternative, please contact their GP surgery to avoid missing out. 

For more information on porcine gelatine and vaccination, visit phw.nhs.wales/PorcineGelatine/

For more information on the flu and COVID-19 vaccine programme in Cardiff and Vale, please go to the Flu and COVID-19 vaccines for autumn/winter 204/25 webpage.