A growing number of children in England are being treated for flu, prompting warnings from senior doctors and health officials as winter pressures on the National Health Service (NHS) intensify.
Hospitals are reporting more young patients arriving at accident and emergency departments with flu symptoms, with some schools reportedly closing or sending pupils home to try to slow the spread.
Flu Cases Among Children in England
Health experts say the surge is being driven largely by a strain of influenza A, known as H3N2, which is circulating widely among children and young people. This variant is described as different from the strain targeted by this season's vaccine, raising concerns that protection may be reduced, although vaccinations are still strongly advised.
Doctors report that flu is contributing to high admission numbers earlier in the season than usual and adding to already heavy winter workloads in children's services, according to the BBC.
One senior paediatrician from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has warned that children are becoming seriously unwell and urged parents not to ignore flu-like symptoms. Clinicians stress that flu is more than just a heavy cold and can lead to complications, particularly in younger children and those with underlying health conditions.
Symptoms tend to develop quickly and may include fever, cough, runny nose, extreme tiredness, body aches, vomiting and diarrhoea, with some signs more common and sometimes more severe in children than adults, the Independent reported.
Growing Health Concerns
UK data show that flu activity has reached what officials describe as a medium level, with hospitalisation rates for flu around 7.79 per 100,000 people and rising. Children are featuring prominently in these figures, and paediatric emergency departments have reported increased pressure, including the use of corridor care in some hospitals.
In response to rising flu activity, some trusts have reintroduced mask-wearing in certain areas and declared critical incidents due to mounting demand.
Health agencies continue to promote the flu vaccine as the best available protection for children, even if the match with the dominant strain is not exact. In England, millions of school-age children are eligible for the nasal spray flu vaccine, with figures showing that more than 3.3 million had been vaccinated by early December.
Doctors also advise basic precautions such as good hand hygiene, staying home when unwell, and following any local guidance from schools or the NHS to help curb further spread among children and their families, as per ABC News.
