How to protect your child against flu

The nasal spray influenza vaccine is available from your GP and it’s free for all healthy two and three-year-olds.

Children attending primary school will be offered the nasal spray whilst they are in school and you will have been contacted.

Children from 6 months with a long term health condition, such as a respiratory or neurological condition or receiving treatment that weakens their immune system, such as chemotherapy are entitled for free vaccine. Contact your GP to arrange it.

The influenza vaccine isn’t suitable for babies under the age of six months.

The vaccine will help protect your child against flu and serious complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Vaccinating your child will also help protect your family and friends.

The nasal spray is painless and easy to have. It helps protect against influenza, has been given to millions of children worldwide and has an excellent safety record

What should I do?

Contact your GP if your child was aged two or three years old (on the 31 August of the current flu season) and you haven’t heard from their GP by early November. If your child is at primary school, the school will send you a consent form. Please sign and return it.

Visit www.nhs.uk/child-flu for more information

What to do if you’re pregnant

Contact your GP to arrange a free vaccine. Protect you and your baby by having your influenza vaccination. It’s the best way to help avoid influenza and the serious related complications it can cause to you and your baby.

It’s free because you need it, however many months pregnant you are and however fit and healthy you might feel. If you want to find out more on the flu jab while pregnant, visit the NHS website at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/flu-jab-vaccine-pregnant

Find out more about the Leeds Childhood Flu Programme at www.hdft.nhs.uk/services/childrens-services/leeds-imms or follow the programme on Facebook @leedsflu

Active Imaginations

Active Imaginations is a fantastic new website full of simple and fun activities that will help 2 to 4-year olds get active.

Active Imaginations is a fantastic new website full of simple and fun activities that will help 2-4 year olds get their 180 minutes of recommended daily physical activity.

Young children have amazing imaginations though for parents it can be difficult to know where to start. So, we’re building this online resource of activities that are free or almost free, can be done indoors or outdoors, in open or limited space, done together or alone, and for a range of different situations.

Looking for inspiration? Browse the website to find fun activities for your child or follow Active Imaginations on Facebook for tips.

We also want to hear from people with an active imagination and ideas they’d like to share so that we can keep building on the resource.

Active Imaginations has been commissioned and developed by Hull, Leeds, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield local authorities, supported by Public Health England.

#activeimaginations
#180minutesactivity

30 Hours Funded Childcare

The Department for Education (DfE) have launched a campaign to promote and raise awareness of the benefits that using 30 hours childcare can have for working families. Claire from Leeds shares her story of how 30 hours childcare helped give her back her “independence”. Hear more from Claire and other families who have benefited from 30 hours here: http://ow.ly/OcxP50usZPC

Hungry Little Minds

Children soak up every little bit of stimulation you can give them. See how the new Hungry Little Minds campaign is helping parents to set their children up nicely for school with fun tips and activities at: https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/

#hungrylittleminds

HERD Farm and Little Owls Nurseries go into partnership to raise children’s attainment

Just 7 miles from the city centre Herd Farm lends itself extremely well to pre-school aged groups to explore, enjoy and achieve. The facility is spread over a rural 16 acre secure site. Parents and children enjoy a variety of settings from woodland to open fields with long grass, hills, and playing fields. The varied range of ‘play and explore’ opportunities, both structured and natural, lend themselves to children displaying their inquisitive side, asking questions, seeking reassurance and gaining confidence as they work things out. In addition, the open spaces and enclosed areas create exciting spaces to swell children’s imagination, particularly when tied in with themed topics such as building hedgehog houses. This year so far Little Owls nurseries have made around 30 visits to Herd farm with plans for many more. The impact on the children’s learning has been significant.

“It was lovely to spend time with the children outside and not hear anything but nature, the children have the space to run around and there’s so much for them to explore” Little Owls Nurseries.

“We hope to be able to work in this creative way across more Children’s Centres and with more families ensuring all our children have access to develop awe and wonder at Herd Farm” Herd farm.