What is the nasal spray flu vaccine?

The nasal spray flu vaccine is a vaccine which goes into your child’s nose – no needles! We know why this matters.

We know some children are worried or anxious about needles, and we know this can be reason why they might not want a vaccine; this vaccine is a nasal spray; no needles; flu protection without the injection.^1-2 It is OK if the nasal spray is not suitable for your child, as an alternative injectable flu vaccine should be offered.

The nasal spray flu vaccine for children has been generally well tolerated by most children; like many medicines, there may be some side effects.¹ Most commonly, your child may feel weak, have a reduced appetite, and a runny or stuffy nose. These side effects are likely to be mild and short term.

For further information on side effects, click here.

So what is it? It is a vaccine that contains a tiny amount of a live but weakened form of the flu virus inserted in to the nose.¹ What this actually means is it doesn’t cause flu in children; instead, it helps them produce the antibodies they need to fight the actual flu - they develop their own protection against the flu virus. Next time your child comes into contact with the virus, their immune system is better prepared to fight off the infection – this is effective in about 2 weeks after receiving the vaccine.^3,4

Parts of the flu viruses change constantly. Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends which virus strains should be used in vaccines for the coming flu season (this is because vaccines have to be prepared well in advance); this means your child needs a flu vaccination every year to protect them from the current strains.

Learn how the nasal spray vaccine is given to children

The nasal spray flu vaccine is free for all children aged 2-16 as part of the NHS childhood flu National Immunisation Programme.⁴ If the nasal spray is not suitable for your child, an alternative injectable flu vaccine may be offered.

The nasal spray flu vaccine may be given to children and teenagers in GP practices if they are 2 or 3 years old, or 'at risk', and in schools when they are older than this.³ These ‘school immunisation teams’ or your GPs are great to talk through any questions about the nasal spray flu vaccine.³

Find out if your child is eligible for the flu vaccine

The nasal spray flu vaccine is only approved for children from 2 years to less than 18 years of age - that said, if they are aged 6 months to 2 years old with at risk or long-term health conditions, they will be offered the flu vaccine injection at GPs.^1,4

The vaccine is not approved for use in teenagers aged 18 or above. All eligible teenagers will be offered the nasal spray flu vaccine; if the nasal spray is not suitable, an alternative injectable flu vaccine may be offered (sometimes called a flu jab or a flu shot).⁴